All That Glitters
by e.t.e.r.n.i.t.i.e.s.E.C.H.O
Summary: [JouSeto] You never know what strange artifacts you might find when looking through old boxes… but now that Kaiba’s hellbent on using them, will Jou be able to save him from himself?
1. The Sands of Time

Hey there! Welcome to the first chapter of All That Glitters! The idea for this story was rather spur of the moment, because I've been thinking about starting a new story but I didn't know what I wanted to do. Then I was struck with inspiration for a j/s oneshot, and I enjoyed writing it more than my other story. I feel guilty admitting it but I'm getting tired of All's Fair! I'll keep updating but, time for a change of course. And so! I've tried to write an original story… there's so many j/s fics on the site that it's hard to come up with something that hasn't already been done 20 times, but I did my best! And now, on to the fic!

Oh yes! And please please please with a pineapple on top… review! Reviews fuel my inspiration for writing… i.e. quicker updates.

Warnings: shonen-ai, j/s later in the fic, possibly other unmentioned pairings

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh! I don't own Apple computers! I don't own Kaiba Corporation! I don't own the company that manufactures those adorable Seto plushies! BUT I WISH I DID!

* * *

Chapter 1 The Sands of Time

_The crash resounded throughout the storage room, down the hall and out to the store where the few customers who had been milling about stopped momentarily to gaze around in confusion, before shrugging and returning to the items they had been stooped over. However, to the elderly man behind the counter, the crash was a cause for concern, indeed. He happened to be aware of the fact that his grandson and friend were snooping around in the room down the hall. A room which happened to contain some rather rare and valuable items. The man snorted, deciding that he was too busy on a Saturday afternoon to go investigate, and left the condition of the stock in the back room up to fate. He turned to the nearest customer in line, who was coughing rather loudly in annoyance at having to wait. And soon, the echo faded from the room and the man's thoughts. _

"_Jou!_" hissed the shorter boy, who had frozen at the impact of the cardboard box with the floor, "_I sure hope Grandpa didn't hear that!"_

The boy called Jonouchi shrugged sheepishly before bending down to retrieve the box, whose contents had spilled halfway across the floor.

"Sorry, Yug'. But don' worry! Everything'll be good as new as soon as I get this picked up!" He smiled reassuringly at the boy called Yugi, who sighed in defeat and continued to pull boxes down off the high shelves, tottering precariously on a spindly stool. Jonouchi had spent the night at Yugi's house, promising to help Grandpa in the shop the following day. However, he had a rather short attention span, and soon found his mind wandering. Not meaning to be insulting and still realizing that Jou was doing the shop more harm than help, Grandpa suggested that Yugi and Jou might find looking around the storage room more enjoyable. He had hinted that there were some interesting things in there that they might find. The boys had jumped at the chance to get out of the stuffy shop and get away from the irritable customers, and so, hours later, still found themselves picking through seemingly ancient cardboard boxes stuffed with…well, junk. Whatever strange and mysterious artifacts that Grandpa seemed to think were in there were either nonexistent or very cleverly hidden. Jou suspected that there wasn't really anything to find, but he was reluctant to voice this opinion to Yugi, afraid of offending him.

Jonouchi glanced up at Yugi again, worried that he would fall off the fragile old stool. But it seemed that Yugi had finished with the boxes on the highest shelf, and was carefully climbing down.

"Here, Jou, let me help you with that," it took Jou a moment to remember that Yugi was referring to the various artifacts that he had accidentally scattered across the floor.

"Oh… right. Thanks, Yug'," he said, falling to his knees once more and scrambling around on the floor to retrieve the smaller pieces. It seemed that this box contained nothing more interesting than the rest, and it was one of the last boxes they'd searched, too. _So much for that._ But it was then that Jonouchi caught sight of a glinting from underneath the old desk in the center of the room. _What's that…?_ He crawled over to it on his hands and knees and bent down farther, peering through the darkness under the desk at the unidentified object. Yugi looked up.

"What's up?" he asked curiously, "Did you find something?"

"I think so…" Jou muttered, straining to reach his arm into the small space, "but I… can't… get… it out…" he groaned in frustration before attempting to get his arm unstuck from underneath the furniture.

"Here, let me help. I bet I can get it!" Yugi smiled and bounced over to Jou, plunking himself down on the ground beside his friend and easily reaching his arm under to pull out the artifact. It appeared to be an ear cuff of some sort… and it also seemed to be made of gold, with strange symbols carved into the inside.

"Hey… looks like we found something!" Jou grinned in triumph as he peered at the object laying in Yugi's palm.

Yugi turned over the object excitedly, noticing at last the cryptic inscription on the piece.

"Hey… Jou… those look like hieroglyphics!" He almost shouted the last word, overcome by excitement at seeing anything Egyptian. And judging by those hieroglyphics, it was probably a very old artifact, indeed. Yugi smiled to himself as he thought about all the other Ancient Egyptian artifacts his grandfather had found, and how they always seemed to be linked with the spirit plane… with magic. He wondered to himself if this cuff was any different, but decided against voicing his suspicions to Jou. _Don't want to get his hopes up, just in case there's nothing really special about it, _he thought.

"This is awesome, Yug!" Jou's voice broke through Yugi's thoughts and brought him back to the present, "Hey! Let's bring it to school tomorrow to show the gang! I wonder what they'll think of it?" He grinned happily and looked expectantly at Yugi for confirmation that this was a good idea.

Well, Yugi wasn't one to let his friend down. But still… he hoped nothing bad would happen to it… it was probably worth too much to be taking it back and forth to school. But no, he shook his head. They would only take it out for a minute. Nothing bad could happen in that amount of time, right?

He grinned back suddenly. "Sure, Jou, that sounds like a good idea. I bet they'll think it's pretty neat, too!"

"Hey, what if there's more funky old Egyptian stuff in dat box?" Jonouchi reached out and grabbed a corner of the box, pulling it towards him and shuffling through it. Yugi sat on the floor, occasionally rubbing his thumb over the hieroglyphics on the cuff as he watched Jou rifle through its contents. After about a minute, a shout of triumph could be heard resounding inside the box where Jou had wedged his head and shoulders, before he pulled himself free and fell onto the floor with a **thump**, waving something over his head. Something that glittered very prettily.

"There's another one! Doesn't look like dat one, though…" he trailed off, eyeing the object in his hand. It appeared to be a golden anklet of some sort, with more hieroglyphics snaking around it in spirals. Jou's eyes widened suddenly before he sat back on the floor and snapped the object around his ankle.

"Um… Jou? What are you doing?" Yugi asked curiously, head tilted to one side.

Jonouchi paused for a minute as if in a daze, before his gaze snapped back up to Yugi's. "I…dunno… I don't remember putting it on, but… that thing's on my ankle!"

Yugi looked at him strangely. "Well, if you don't like it you can always take it off," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess." Jou reached down and was about to pull off the golden jewelry before his hands paused inches from it, and doubt crossed his face. "I dunno why, Yug, but for some reason I really don't want to take it off. Weird stuff…" he trailed off.

"Well, that's all right, Jou. I'm sure Grandpa won't mind if you borrow it for a little while," Yugi smiled reassuringly and pulled himself to his feet.

"Yeah… well, I better go, Yug. Th' old man's expectin' me home soon," he smiled, "see you tomorrow… and don't forget to bring that Egyptian thing!"

"Okay, Jou, see you tomorrow!" Yugi waved as his friend walked out the door, returning to the middle of the room to look with heightened curiosity at the old cardboard boxes and the item that had been stored inside.

* * *

Jonouchi Katsuya woke up the next morning with a jolt to the sound of his alarm clock. _Damn piece of junk. _Squinting his eyes, his hand made a fist and he punched at the top of it until he hit the button that would make it shut up. What he wouldn't do for a little peace and quiet once in a while…

_Shit… I gotta headache… _

Memories of the night before slowly flooded back into his mind.

* * *

_He had just finished walking home from Yugi's with the Egyptian anklet, in a particularly good mood, though he wasn't quite sure why. That's when he noticed that the door was wide open… that was bad news. Either they had a robber on their hands… or his dad was drunk again and forgot to close the door. That wouldn't be so much of a problem except… Jonouchi Sr. tended to get violent when he'd had too much to drink. And he usually took it out on Jou._

_Jonouchi cautiously crept up to the door and peered inside, heart sinking as he saw a familiar and unwelcome sight. His father was sprawled across the dirty brown couch , empty bottles strewn at his feet and holding a half-empty beer bottle in his hand. Jou glanced near the walls and noticed that several bottles had been thrown at them and shattered, scattering glass fragments all across the floor. Well… better the walls than him…maybe he could slip out before his father noticed he was there…_

"_Boy! S'at you…?" growled a voice darkly, as the man on the couch struggled to sit up. Jou's heart sank. It seemed he was too late. He attempted to duck just as he heard the telltale whiz of a bottle thrown, but he wasn't quick enough, and it connected with the side of his head with a crack that echoed as his vision slowly began turning black around the edges. Soon he saw only a pinpoint of light, which went out like a candle, and he fell to the ground, out cold. _

* * *

Aside from the bruising on his skull, Jou reasoned with himself, he had gotten off rather easily. Sometimes things got a whole lot worse before he passed out. He should be _grateful_ that the bottle connected. He traced his fingers lightly over the tender spot on his skull to assess the damage and cringed at the light contact as a sharp ache shot through him. Best to just leave it alone… it'll heal eventually.

Jou glanced at his alarm clock once more and yelped, seeing the time and rushing to get ready for school as fast as he could. He began to see spots across his field of vision again and, realizing that it would be better to be late to school than to pass out and miss it, he began moving more gingerly. Jou swung his schoolbag over his shoulder and headed down the hall towards the door, passing by the tiny kitchen on his way out. His father was seated inside, clutching his head in his hands and nursing a mug of coffee. Jou snorted. Seems he wasn't the only one with a headache. S_erves th' bastard right._ Still, there was no real menace behind the thought.

"Hey, boy! Come in here a minute." He heard his father's words as he passed by and sighed inwardly. Caught. Jou stepped cautiously into the kitchen and eyed his father, keeping as close to the door as possible in case a quick escape was in order.

"What th' hell was that girly piece of jewelry yer wearin', huh? No boy o' mine's gonna be a fag," his father sneered spitefully, "I tried to get the damn thing off but it's stuck."

Jou flinched at the words. True, he had never found himself attracted to a girl, or to anyone in particular really, but his father didn't need to know that. He would probably kill him, quite literally. Banishing this thought from his mind, Jou managed to process the rest of his father's statement.

"It doesn't… come off?" Jou pulled up his jeans to his knees and looked at the gold anklet. No… he really didn't want to take it off, but he just had to make sure that he could. Jou clasped each end of the anklet and swiftly removed it. Anklet dangling from his hand, Jou looked at his father in confusion. What did he mean, it didn't come off?

"How…how th' hell did you do that? I spend half an hour an' I couldn't do it!" his father glared at his son as if Jou had planned it all to make him look like a fool.

"I don't know how… sorry, pop, but I gotta get t' school," Jou looked down, not meeting his father's eyes in case he thought he was being disrespectful. That could end badly.

"Allright… but you make sure to come right back. Don't want you fuckin' around and gettin' into trouble."

Jou nodded absently and exited the room, realizing with a start that school started in 10 minutes and it was a 20 minute walk.

"Ah, shit!" he muttered, hurriedly putting the anklet back on. _Gotta get to school, and fast. _

Suddenly, Jou's vision began to swirl and spin. Colors and objects blended together until all he could see before him was a spiraling kaleidoscope. He yelled out in shock, and yet no words escaped from his mouth. And then, the colors slowly separated and took shape once again. The shape… of his school. And then the world slowed, and Jou's feet hit the ground. He toppled over, staring up at Domino High School. _What the fuck…?_

How had he gotten here? He had just been standing outside his apartment! What was going on? Well… he had been sick… maybe he just imagined it. He must have walked to school, passed out in front, and dreamed up the rest. Yeah, that must be it. Reassured, Jou clambered to his feet, retrieved his backpack, and jogged inside.

* * *

Jou swung open the door of his algebra class and slouched inside, ignoring the grins of the class and the cool stare of the teacher on his back.

"Jonouchi Katsuya!" Jou's teacher, Hanazawa-san, said, her words crisp and clear. Jou froze, before dumping his bag on his desk and turning to face her.

"Hai..?" he asked, knowing what she was going to say.

"You're late. I expect to see you in my room promptly after school for detention."

He sighed. _Wonder what th' old man's gonna say about this. I'm s'possed ta come right home after school…_ he shivered, finally deciding that it would be safer to skip the detention.

"…Hai…" he muttered again, falling back into his chair and retrieving a notebook. Jou turned as he felt an icy gaze on his back, noticing that Seto Kaiba was regarding him with cool indifference. Kaiba snorted distastefully and turned his attention back to his laptop which was open on his desk. _Huh. What th' hell's moneybags lookin' at?_ Jou thought to himself, annoyed.

He spent the rest of the lesson trying to pay attention, but his mind kept drifting back to the detention after school. Either way, he would lose. _Hmm… can't be late t'day or I'm gonna get t' tar knocked outta me… can't let my grades slip any more either or th' same thing'll happen. So what do I do? _Once again, he involuntarily let slip a loud sigh. Hanazawa-san looked up at him angrily.

"_What_ is it _now,_ Jonouchi-san? Bad enough that you come in late and interrupt my lesson, but now you apparently see fit to ignore the lesson and act as though you are bored with the material! What do you have to say for yourself?" she stared him down as though daring him to defend himself. Jou made a mental note not to cross this woman in a dark alley.

"Sorry, teach, no offense or nothin'. I jus' didn't get much sleep last night, ya know?" He gave her his most innocent look.

Hanazawa-san gave an annoyed snort worthy of Kaiba himself, before returning to her lesson.

_Okay, Jou, ya gotta pay attention. Don' want that ta happen again. Now wait, what was that formula again? The quadratic equation… dammit you, move yer head. I can't see the bored… er… board… hehe. Yeah, that's right. A little more to the left. There it is. X -b /- the square root of b2 – 4ac / 2a. I see now. So… what does that mean?_

* * *

By lunchtime, Jou was thoroughly exasperated with the whole idea of school. What was the point? Not like he got anything out of it anyway. And he just didn't see how that quadratic thingamajig was gonna help him out later in life. _What a load a' bull. I ain't never gonna need ta know that… Hanazawa just likes to watch me squirm. _He stared down his sandwich moodily as he sat outside under a tree surrounded by Yugi and Co.

"Something the matter, Jou?" Yugi asked with concern.

"Nah, Yug', it's nothin'. Thanks, though." Jou smiled.

"Oh, hey! I know what'll cheer you up!" Yugi chirped suddenly, "Let's look at that Egyptian earring we found yesterday!"

"An Egyptian earring?" Ryou asked with interest, scooting closer towards Yugi to get a better look. Yugi opened his hand to show them.

The ear cuff was picked up and examined by everyone, with sufficient oohs and ahhs all around. Just as Jou was about to return it to Yugi, however, he heard footsteps behind him and the earring was snatched from his hand. The offending person put on the cuff just as everyone turned around.

"_Kaiba?"_ They said together, shocked.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was a slave to routine. And he was quite at good sticking to said routines, thank you very much. So it was as much to his surprise as to everyone else's when that day, he folded up his laptop and quietly exited his personal secluded corner of the lunchroom. He wasn't quite sure of the reason himself, he just knew that he had to go somewhere, and quickly. His feet carried him faster and faster as the sense of urgency grew. Faster still, until he reached a certain tree, with certain people that he happened to dislike sprawled beneath it. And the certain person he happened to dislike the most of all, that certain person with the mop of blonde hair and the ridiculous manner of speech, like some American street thug, seemed to be holding a glinting object.

For some reason unknown to Seto Kaiba, he knew it was his. And he wanted it back.

_But, that's ridiculous... How can it be mine? I've never even seen the thing before!_

But just as Jou reached over to return the thing to Yugi, Kaiba involuntarily reached out and grabbed it. It looked to be a golden ear cuff, so he put it on. As soon as his hands had stopped moving involuntarily, Kaiba looked down in shock at the people on the ground looking back at him with surprise and some anger.

_What th' hell does Kaiba think he's doing? That's Yugi's earring! That goddamn rich boy, he thinks he can just come in and steal anything he feels like! Isn't he already rich enough that he doesn't need to go stealing from people poorer than him? Fuck him, th' bastard!_

That voice… it sounded as though it had come from the other end of a tunnel, echoing and reverberating, but it was unmistakably Jonouchi's voice. Who did that dirty stray think he was, talking to Seto Kaiba like that? Well, Seto wasn't going to stand for it. He had a reputation to keep up.

"_What did you say, mutt?"_ he said in his most dangerous voice, low like a panther about to spring, daring Jonouchi to speak up again.

"What are you talkin' about? I didn't say nothin'! All that money must've gone to yer head. You're going craz-"

Jou didn't get any farther before Kaiba's fist connected with his chest and he was knocked over backwards. Seto noted with extreme annoyance that Anzu was screaming her head off about how friend's shouldn't fight each other, and Yugi was saying something similar. Honda had sprung to his feet, ready to tackle Kaiba if it seemed Jou couldn't hold his own. But he didn't care. How _dare_ the mutt imply that his intelligence was waning! The filthy mutt was one to talk about stupidity! Damn him. Good a reason as any to fight. Besides, he felt like it.

Jou had just gotten to his feet once more when he received a blow to the head from Kaiba that had him staggering backwards. His vision temporarily went black around the edges, before he remembered yesterday's run-in with his old man. Well, if he didn't have a concussion before…

_Shit!_ Jou thought. _I gotta get outta this. There's no way I can beat 'im th'way it stands… I might not even be able t' win if I wasn't already beat up. Shit…ow!_

Just as Kaiba's fist connected with him for the last time, Jou made one final desperate wish inside his mind. _I wish I was back home in my room away from all this…_

And there it was again, the rushing, the swirling, the blending of objects and colors until he swore the universe would turn into a black hole and swallow him up. Except there was one difference between this time and the last. This time he was not alone.

The world calmed down as it had before, until his vision rearranged itself in his bedroom and he plopped alongside Seto Kaiba onto his bed. Maybe he hadn't imagined it… and then he heard Kaiba yelling.

"Mutt! What the hell just happened? What the fuck did you do! Where are we? Undo it, dammit, undo it!"

This was not good.

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

And there it is! Chappie one! I hope you liked it… and please review! The more reviews I get the faster I can get out a new chapter

I'll try to be good… cowers I haven't been updating my other stories very often… I'm sorry!

And now, the review button's right there. See it? Go on, give it a click.


	2. The Possession

Konichiwa! I'm being so good… I've started the next chappie right after I finished the first one! Im usually too lazy to do that…

Well, I won't bore you with my prattle. On to the next part, enjoy!

Warnings: Shonen-ai later, language, mild violence

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!

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**Chapter 2: The Possession**

"What the fuck did you do! Undo it, dammit, undo it!" Seto Kaiba was flopped in a very undignified manner across the tiny bed in Jonouchi's room at the present, yelling his head off. Which was a very un-Kaiba-like thing to do. However, desperate times, as they say…

Meanwhile, Jou was attempting to disentangle himself from Kaiba, finally managing to heave himself up off the bed before losing his balance and crashing to the floor in a heap.

"Mutt! Is your puny brain processing a single word I am saying to you? I want to know what happened! Do you understand me. I will sue the fucking _life_ out of you if I don't get explanations! This is impossible, it's absurd! We just teleported!" Kaiba struggled into a sitting position before he began raving anew. Jonouchi was stupefied by the nature of their strange transportation, and so he just sat on the floor in a daze until Kaiba ran out of steam. He seemed to sag wearily as he rested his head on his hands, fingers elegantly steepled in deep concentration.

"This is ridiculous," Kaiba informed Jonouchi, although he seemed almost as if he was trying to convince himself instead, "there must be a rational explanation. There _is_ a rational explanation. Just have to think of it…" he trailed off, muttering to himself occasionally as he sat.

Jou finally shook himself out of a daze long enough to think about what had happened. _Well, it has happened before… I jes thought I was imaginin' it that time. So… we really teleported, huh? But that's not even possible! It's almost like magic. But what… _

Jou was shaken out of his thoughts by Kaiba's abrupt and desperate response.

"You're saying this has happened to you before, Mutt? Well why the hell didn't you say anything about it! What caused it last time? And we most certainly did _not_ teleport, because magic doesn't exist! That's exactly the kind of fantasy-bound non-logic I'd expect from you. Why don't you start being rational and realistic so I can find out what happened!" Kaiba's voice had a desperate edge to it, as though he thought Jonouchi would have some sort of explanation. But wait a minute… he could have _sworn_ he didn't say that out loud…

"What're ya talkin' about, Kaiba? I didn't say anything about magic, an' I don' remember tellin' you that it's happened before, either. How didja know that, anyway?"

"What do you mean _how did I know that,_ you lunatic? You just told me!" Kaiba stormed.

"I didn' tell ya nothing!"

"Yes you—oh this is ridiculous! I am not having this conversation! You had better figure out exactly what happened, and I expect an explanation devoid of any of your magical fantasies, or by the time I'm done suing you, you won't have a room to magically teleport yourself back to!" Kaiba raged, before storming from Jou's room.

Jonouchi could hear him clattering all the way down the stairs to the front entrance, where he assumed Kaiba would call his driver to come pick him up. Well, whatever had happened, he better figure it out fast. Jou didn't doubt for a second that Kaiba had meant every word he said.

_Well, lessee. Gotta think… s'like I teleported twice. So why did it happen? T' first time I was late an' I wanted ta get ta school and then… I appeared at school… and this time was when Kaiba was fightin' me, an' I wanted to go home! An' presto, here we were! So does this mean I can go whereva I want? What kinda freaky magic would make that happen? What's so different alluva sudden?_ And then it hit him. The anklet. But was that even possible? The millennium items had magic, so it stood to reason that other objects could enable the wearer to have powers too…

Well, nothing else for it. He would have to test it out.

_I wanna go ta th' livin' room. _Jou concentrated, focusing every part of his mind on this simple request. And it seemed he had discovered the secret of the mysterious anklet, for once again he was engulfed in spinning color, before the whirlwind deposited him unceremoniously onto the floor of his living room. Jou looked around himself in shock. This… this was incredible. But… if one item was magic, it stood to reason that the other would be too. So… what did Kaiba's earring do?

_What do you mean, how did I know, you lunatic? You just told me!_

_I didn' tell ya nothing!"_

_Yes you—oh this is ridiculous!_

Jou's eyes widened as the scene replayed in his mind. Kaiba… Kaiba could hear his thoughts. So! That was why he attacked him at lunch! Jou chuckled to himself slightly, remembering all the harsh thoughts he had been directing at the brunet. _Well, serves him right, anyway. _But now that he had figured out the secret, he'd better find Kaiba before a lawyer did. _I wonder if I can use t' anklet ta find people… guess I'll just hafta give it a shot. _

Jou closed his eyes. _I want ta go wherever Seto Kaiba is. Take me ta Seto Kaiba._ He concentrated absolutely, until the item began to work its magic. Jou was carried upwards through the whirlwind, faster and faster, until it slowed, and then he was falling… before he landed with a _thump_ directly on top of a flabbergasted CEO.

"What the--" Kaiba turned his head from where he had been knocked onto the floor, Jou sitting on top of him, "Mutt! What do you think you're doing? Get the hell off of me!" He heaved himself upwards, knocking Jou sprawling onto the floor beside him, before he stood gracefully and brushed himself off. Seto's glare returned to Jonouchi.

_I came 'cause I figured out what happened. _Jou thought, trying to confirm his suspicions about the earring. If Kaiba responded…

"Well, good. Let's hear it so you can beat the hell out of here. And next time, don't get anywhere near me." Kaiba snapped irritably. Jou smiled to himself. He had been right, after all. _Well, so much for Kaiba not believing in magic._

"Of course I don't believe in it. What kind of foolish comment was that?" Kaiba muttered to himself irritably.

_Oh shit… I better'd not think anythin' too horrible about him or there's no tellin' what he'll do…_

Kaiba shot a very strange look at Jonouchi.

"God dammit!" Jou finally yelled aloud in frustration, "I dunno how yer hearin' it, but shut it off! My thoughts are my own, thanks!"

"Just what the hell are you blabbering on about now? I don't have time for your stupid games, Mutt. Just tell me the cause of our apparent teleportation and you can go. Or," he added cheerily to himself as an afterthought, "I can have my bodyguards escort you out. I can't make any promises that they won't throw you bodily out the door..." Jou grimaced. Kaiba wasn't exactly going out of his way to make things any easier…

_Well before I tell ya, n' don't freak out, look at my mouth._

"What the hell are you going on about now? What does that have to do with anything?"

_Jus' do it, Kaiba. My mouth's not movin', is it? But you can hear me, cantcha?_

"Oh yes, very nice," his expression turned dangerous, "I have no time for your idiotic displays of ventriloquism. This is _not_ what I'm waiting around to hear."

_It ain't ventriloquism, ya fool. 'Cause I ain't talkin'. You can hear what I'm thinkin' on account o' that nifty little ear cuff ya got on._ Jou smirked, which irritated Kaiba to no end.

Seto Kaiba turned away in disgust. Here he had asked, and quite earnestly, I might add, for an explanation, and that idiotic dog was just fucking around. He was _playing with him_, that ignorant simpleton… Kaiba huffed in irritation.

"Look, you foul fleabag, maybe the geek squad is ignorant and stupid enough to believe bullshit like that, but I, on the other hand, am not. I would advise you for your own safety, although I don't give a damn about that either way, to start talking. Or things could get… dangerous." He threw an equally dangerous glare Jonouchi's way.

"Oh, s'at so? Well then, come on. I can take ya," Jou drawled, frustrated that Kaiba wouldn't here him out. _Then again, I hate to admit it but I dunno if I can actually beat 'im…_

"Oh, so you admit it now? Of course you can't beat me. Then again, you've picked so many ridiculous fights with me in the past and gotten your ass handed to you that I'm surprised you didn't figure that out sooner," Kaiba paused in mock thoughtfulness, "Actually, knowing your puny mind, I'm not really too surprised."

"That's _it_ rich boy!" Jou roared, lunging at Kaiba, fist raised to deliver a blow right to the stomach. But one moment Kaiba was there, and then he wasn't. Jou felt a crushing blow to the back of his head before he crumpled to the ground. But no, it hadn't been magic, that much he could tell… Kaiba really was just that fast. He'd sidestepped him so easily…

"Done with your unfounded big talk now, mutt?" Jou looked up to see Kaiba looming over him. He positively glared.

"Ah, shuddup, why doncha? I slipped on the shiny rich-boy floor, thas'all. Ya won't be so lucky next time…" Jou trailed off.

"Well if you shape up and decide to act your age for once, perhaps there won't be another instance in which it's necessary for me to beat you so easily."

Jou grimaced. This wasn't exactly helping matters… he'd better just tell it to Kaiba straight.

"Okay, moneybags, shaddup an' listen. I know ya don' believe in all that hocus pocus crap, but it's da truth. You can hear what I'm thinkin'. N' I got somethin' kinda like it. See this?" he pointed to his anklet, "it can take me whereva I wanna go. Howdya think we ended up in my house? An' how do ya think I found ya so easy jus' now?"

Seto Kaiba remained expressionless, as he always was. But inside, he was wondering. It wasn't magic, of course. There was no such thing. But perhaps with the right technology… but who would have equipment advanced enough to design and manufacture such a thing? He didn't like the direction this was heading… whoever it was was a step, no, several steps above the rest, including even himself. This person would prove a dangerous enemy to Kaiba Corporation… a danger that would have to be eliminated.

"Jounouchi," he said evenly, "where did you get that anklet?"

Jou became suspicious rather quickly. "At Yugi's shop. Why d'ya ask?"

Seto smiled, and then he got an idea. An awful idea. He got a wonderful, awful idea!

"Lead the way, Jonouchi. We're going to pay a little visit to the Kame Game Shop."

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Of Many Devious Schemes

Ah! Hello! I just finished submitting the last chappie today but I'm going on vacation soon! So I better get started! Also I just like writing this story—it's so much fun to come up with what happens next! … I hope its fun to read too anyway, thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so happy to hear from you all! Thanks to YaoiFanLady 2 cos she reviewed twice! throws her seto plushies and cc cookies

Hooray! And now! I will stop rambling! On to the fic!

Warnings: language, possibly mild violence (haven't decided yet), shonen-ai later

Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Yugioh. Hard to believe, but it's true.

x-------------------------------------------------------------x

**Chapter 3: Of Many Devious Schemes**

_Seto smiled, and then he got an idea. An awful idea. He got a wonderful, awful idea!_

"_Lead the way, Jonouchi. We're going to pay a little visit to the Kame Game Shop."_

"A little visit, my ass," Jonouchi muttered to himself from the backseat of the long black limo. Who else but Kaiba would bring two limos and a pair of scary looking bodyguards to pay a "little visit?" He was clearly off his rocker. Not that Jou really minded… it wasn't every day he got to sit in a car like this one.

"What was that, Jonouchi?" Kaiba sounded almost…cheerful. Jou thought it was rather spooky, on the whole.

"Meh, nothin'. But whaddaya want at Yug's grampa's store? We already looked—there's not any more crazy old junk in the back," Jou said, looking out the window at the people who were turning to see through the limo windows. He always did that, too. Thought there might be someone famous inside… but then again, there was. Jou sneaked a glance at the CEO seated next to him. Kaiba had somehow managed to practically squash himself against his door in an effort to keep as much space between himself and Jonouchi as possible.

_Hmph. Wadda jerk. S'not like I got fleas or nothin'…_

"Allow me to clarify. You do indeed have fleas. And what exactly did you just call me?"

"Eh… nothin'. Never mind." Jou huffed, resuming his task of staring out the window.

"Hn," came the curt reply.

Jou lifted his head somewhat and tilted it in the direction of the brunet. "Say, Kaiba, you neva answered da question. Whaddaya want wit da Kame Game Shop, anyways?"

"That is for me to know and you to most likely never find out."

"Fuck you, Kaiba."

x------------------------------------------------------------x

And so it was that, minutes later, the party arrived in front of the Kame Game Shop. With an excess of grandeur and flamboyance, Kaiba opened the door and stepped primly onto the street. Jonouchi did likewise, with less gracefulness and a whole lot more stumbling. Kaiba eyed him pointedly with an amused smirk. Jou ignored it as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the wheels in Kaiba's head were turning.

_It will really be quite simple. All that is necessary is to find the old man and… convince… him ** heh **to reveal the manufacturers of those artifacts. If he refuses… well, it will be a simple matter to put him out of business. Still, I wonder if all the properties of the items have been discovered by Jonouchi yet? What else can they do? I'll need to buy out some of the manufacturers chief officials to assist me in discovering the properties and design of the technology used. I wonder… if such a thing could be manufactured for a minimal cost and sold for a fortune… it would be quite an endeavor and yet remains inside the realm of possibility._

These were some of the thoughts playing in Seto's mind as he walked the short ways down the street to the shop. The value of those items was… enormous. Perhaps to himself more than to anyone else, because he didn't just want them for the use they were made for. He wanted to exploit them. A little extra money never hurt. Well, maybe a _lot_ of extra money. Then again… the old man could be extremely stubborn, which he knew from experience. Kaiba well remembered the day he first entered the Kame Game Shop to find the owner had a Blue Eyes in his possession… and yet regardless of his very best offer, the pathetic old man wouldn't sell. Something about friendship. Bah, humbug.

Perhaps… yes… perhaps it would be best for Jonouchi to ask him about it first. It wouldn't be any skin off his nose to put the geezer out of business, but it would take more time than he would like to wait. He needed that information _now_. And Jonouchi would be just the one to get it for him. That ignorant simpleton wouldn't have any idea what he'd done until it was too late.

"You know, Jonouchi, I find those artifacts to be quite… fascinating," Kaiba smiled disarmingly, "I would like very much to discuss how they work and their origin with Yugi's grandfather, but we haven't always gotten along. Perhaps you could talk with him instead?" _Ugh, lay it on thick, why don't you? He's never going to fall for that. Even _he's_ not that stupid…_

"Well… I guess I wanna know how dese things work, too. So sure, why not?" Jou agreed suddenly.

_I spoke too soon. It seems he _is_ that stupid, indeed. I should have known…_

_x------------------------------------------------------x_

And so it was that Jonouchi entered the Kame Game Shop alone while Kaiba remained outside by the limos, after giving Jonouchi strict instructions not to mention his part in all this.

Jou heard the tinkle of a bell a split second after he opened the door, and crossed the room to the counter where Yugi's grandpa appeared moments later. He didn't seem at all surprised to see Jou, but instead leaned forward expectantly on the counter.

"Hey gramps," Jou smiled, "how ya been?"

"Very well, thank you, Jou. And what can I help you with?" he smiled mysteriously.

"Well… it's about this Egyptian thingy ya let me borrow for a while. See, I think…" Jou looked up and glanced around the store, before leaning closer and whispering, "I think it's got magic powers or somethin'. I know dat sounds stupid but…" he trailed off.

Solomon's smile grew. "Not nearly as stupid as you may think, Jou. In fact, not stupid at all." The old man opened another door into the house and stepped inside, and Jou followed, where Solomon resumed his speech. "Those two artifacts you and Yugi found are of Ancient Egyptian make. They are extremely old, rare, and valuable… but anyone could have told you that. So, you think the artifacts possess magic? What exactly makes you say that?"

"Well…erm…" Jou shuffled uncomfortably, not wanting to sound foolish, "it's just dat… I think this thing made me… teleport."

"Did it now?" Solomon nodded with approval. "You seem to have discovered it's properties very quickly. The anklet you are wearing has another ability, but first we need the earring you found."

This was it. He had no choice. "We don't have it anymore. Someone… took it. But we know where it is."

Yugi's grandfather froze. "Took it? You mean it's gone? Do you know this person? We need to get it back immediately!"

"Gramps… when I put on this anklet, it was like I didn' have a choice… I jus' did it. I think it was the same for t' guy who's got the earring righ' now. An' I know he's not gonna pawn it off or nothin'."

This seemed to make Grandpa relax a bit. But just a little. "Well… it seems hard to believe that it's rightful owner could have found it already, but… it has been many millennia. After waiting so long, one could hardly expect him to wait any longer." He seemed to reach a conclusion. "All right, Jonouchi. I will tell you the other properties of the anklet and the earring. The anklet you are wearing can only take you to immobile places or landmarks. It cannot be used to find anything that moves, such as animals, cars, or people." At this point, Jou began to interrupt with a story of how he had used it to find Kaiba, but Solomon shushed him and continued. "However, there is an exception, and only one. If the rightful owner of the earring has donned the artifact, the anklet can be used to find him, wherever he is. I am assuming, from your interruption, that this has already occurred?" Jou nodded, dumbstruck. "Then I can only assume that whoever is currently in possession of the earring is indeed the true owner."

"Wow… this's some treasure, huh Gramps?" Jou asked weakly, eying the anklet he was wearing.

"It is indeed, Jou. Do you want to know the properties of the earring as well?"

"Yeah… if ya don't mind."

"Of course I don't. The earring has properties of potentially a much more dangerous nature. The owner must be level-headed and wise or much evil could come of it's use. It has two properties. One is its ability to allow the owner to hear one person's thoughts. These two items have been connected since ancient times, you see. While you can always find the owner of the earring, the owner of the earring can always hear what you are thinking, whenever he so chooses. It's other property… well, it's rather frightening. The owner of the earring has the ability to make any living thing, person, animal, or plant, his avatar."

Jou jumped. "What! You mean he can use that freaky thing ta possess people?"

Solomon nodded. "He can. That is the danger in any one person possessing magic of that sort. If his mind is inhabiting another's body, his own body will simply carry on in a robotic, soulless state, until he chooses to return to it. However, there is a danger in this for him as well, for if his body is destroyed while his soul inhabits another, he will be lost forever."

"Ya mean… he'll die?"

A grave nod was the only response.


	4. Of Trial and Tribulation

Konichiwa! Wait… its 11:11 pm! Make a wish everybody! I wish that lots of people will review! Hooray!

You'll notice that updates are few and far between because school's started again and I'm getting a crapload of homework! I wish I could write fanfics instead of essays… ah well… I'll find as much time as I can to update so please bear with me I also made my band audition (hooray!) so that's taking up a lot of time as well… sorry!

Special thanks to xdragonslayerx who reviewed 3 times! Extra Seto plushies for you!!!

And now, on to the fic!

Warnings: language, possibly violence, shonen-ai (later)

Disclaimer: je n'ai pas Yu-Gi-Oh, yada yada yada, you know the drill

**Chapter 4 Of Trial and Tribulation**

Jonouchi Katsuya didn't have a lot to say upon leaving the building. He simply veered around the limos and Seto Kaiba and headed in the direction of home, consumed by his thoughts. It seemed as though the items were extremely powerful and dangerous, Kaiba's especially. Still, Kaiba's earring would only be dangerous if Kaiba possessed someone or something with it, and Jou doubted he believed in its powers enough to do that. But what if he did? Jou didn't like the idea of Kaiba dying, but he didn't want to be a soulless body's babysitter either. Especially to Seto Kaiba's soulless body.

But Kaiba wasn't to be deterred that easily. He was, at that very moment, driving slowly alongside Jonouchi Katsuya, pestering him with questions. Except that Seto Kaiba never pestered. It was too pathetic a word to describe any action of the young CEO's. Seto Kaiba… interrogated. He liked the sound of that much better, thank you.

And so Jou kept walking down the sidewalk, oblivious to the pes- erm… interrogation. Kaiba wanted to know what had happened, dammit! He wanted to know what Solomon had said- who made the items? Where could that person or organization be found? Was there anything else the items were capable of? Did he have any idea how they worked? On and on, until Jou finally realized he was being spoken to. He stopped short, and the limosine followed suit.

"Wha- were you sayin' somethin', Kaiba?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed to slits. Dangerous slits. "Why no, Jonouchi, I am within a 10 mile radius of you just because I feel like it. Of course I was saying something, and I hardly find it necessary to repeat myself."

"Do watcha want," came the distracted reply, before the blonde boy continued on by.

Kaiba didn't like this one bit. He didn't take kindly to being ignored- especially by mongrels like Jonouchi. The limo sped up, bringing the two face to face.

"Mutt," hissed Kaiba menacingly, "I have no time to waste on your silly games. Items like these could turn quite a profit, and I am not about to let you get in my way. What. Do. They. Do." He spoke slowly, spitting out each word as though the taste of it burned him.

_Blue elephants. Blue elephants and artichokes. La la la you can't hear what I'm thinkin' cos I'm not thinkin' of anythin' special, nope. Just artichokes. Can't keep this up much- shit… what if something bad happens? No! Stop! Remember the artichokes! They're… dancing! Yep!_

"What the hell are you talking about? I certainly hope you haven't lost even more of your mind or I won't be able to extract the information I need from you before you are committed."

"Whaddaya think I'm doin', Kaiba? I'm makin' sure a certain someone doesn't hear what I'm thinkin' about. So I'm thinkin' about otha things."

Kaiba smirked. An easy game to play, really. "Oh, is that so? And how long do you believe you can keep that up? Or do you plan to think of dancing artichokes for the rest of your miserable life?"

Jonouchi shot Kaiba a withering glance, nursing his wounded pride sadly.

"Aw, shut it Kaiba," he muttered, before looking up sharply and blinking. Jonouchi smirked suddenly, and then… he was gone. Vanished.

"Damn!" This wasn't good… it seemed he could only hear Jonouchi's thoughts when he was in eyesight… and how the hell was he supposed to find out where the mutt had gone? He could be anywhere… New York ! Timbuktu ! Seto's backyard! Ugh… Kaiba shuddered at the thought of that. There was nothing he could do, short of putting a tracking device on the mutt. But that would be… what? Insane? Illegal? Devious? Seto Kaiba smirked. He liked the sound of that.

But the preparations for that could be taken care of at another time. His top priority was finding that dog.

x--------------------------------------------------x

"Shit!" Jonouchi cursed, rubbing his head gingerly where it had crashed against the floor of Yugi's bedroom. "I _gotta_ get better at dis landin' thing…"

"Jou!" came Yugi's startled gasp as he witnessed his best friend plop onto the floor from thin air. "What… what just happened? How did you get in here?"

"I used my artifact thingamajig, of course… goddamn Kaiba. He's so smug!" Jou muttered darkly, lifting himself off the floor and plopping down next to Yugi on the bed. Then he brightened. "Then again… I sure showed him! There's no way he can catch me even with dat freaky earring he's got."

Yugi's eyes, if possible, got even bigger than normal. "Jou… does this mean you've found out what they do?"

Jonouchi looked up at Yugi in surprise, having forgotten that he didn't know about Jou's discoveries. "Yeah, I figured out what mine does, and some o' what Kaiba's does, but Gramps helped me wit da rest."

"Well what do they do?"

Jou sighed, knowing it was a long story and he was the one who would be telling it. _Oh well, I got nothin' but time. S'not like Kaiba's got any idea I went to Yug's. S'nice to have one up on him for once…_

As a matter of fact, he didn't have one up on Kaiba. Seto was at that very moment sitting at his desk back at the main office accompanied by a homing device. And he knew exactly

where Jonouchi was. _S'not like Kaiba's got any idea I went to Yug's._ The CEO chuckled sinisterly to himself. The mutt really needed to learn to censor his thoughts if he wished to beat Seto Kaiba at his own game. For now, he had nothing but time. Might as well wait until he got Jonouchi by himself, instead of having to deal with self-righteous Yugi and his equally irritating Grandfather. Kaiba leaned back in his swivel chair, threw back his head and cackled to the ceiling. He couldn't help it. It was his trademark, after all.

x------------------------------------------x

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jou had just put the finishing touches on the story he'd told Yugi. Omitting the fact that he got his ass handed to him by Kaiba, of course. That little detail… well, it wasn't relevant to the story, so why even bother with it?

Yugi pulled in his knees, wrapping his arms around them and rocking back in forth.

"So Jou… it's great that you can go places, but what about Kaiba? You know he doesn't believe in that sort of thing… and even if he did…well…" Yugi faltered.

"…he can't be trusted with it?" Jou offered, knowing full well that Yugi wouldn't accuse a fly of living in shit, much less Kaiba of being untrustworthy… and devious and scheming and…(_Elsewhere in the city, a certain CEO was hearing this train of thought and feeling very indignant, indeed.)_

_Well… there's no point insultin' Kaiba when he's not even here ta hear it…I wonder how far away I gotta be b'fore he can't hear what I'm thinkin' anymore? Better ask Gramps tomorrow... _Jou yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head.

"Well, Yug, I better get goin'. S'getting' dark n' all."

Yugi was instantly concerned. "Jou- you're not walking, are you?"

"Naw, don't worry about it," Jou smiled reassuringly.

"Okay," was the happy response, "oh, and one more thing… about Kaiba. Even though he probably won't try to use it, could you at least try to warn him? We wouldn't want him to get hurt…"

"Yeah, I'll talk to 'im Yug… I just dunno what he'll make of it…" _Ya got that wrong. **You** wouldn't want him to get hurt. **Me**, on the other hand… well, it wouldn't exactly bother me._"Bye, Yug. Thanks for lettin' me stay fer a while."

"No problem, Jou. See you tomorrow!" was the last thing he heard before he walked out the door, one hand raised in acknowledgement that he heard Yugi, and then everything was silent.

x------------------------------------------------------x

Seto Kaiba leaned far back into the plush seat of his limo, for once abandoning his perfect posture in favor of a more comfortable one. No one could see him, after all. He glanced indifferently out the window, watching the colors of the city streak by in a blur. The driver must be going too fast… or no… it was just his eyes going out of focus. _These late nights are getting to be a real bitch…_

The main freeway was always nearly stopped, and as much as Seto would have liked to blackmail the other cars out of his way, there were certain limitations even he had to abide by. Well… he probably _could_ get them to move, but it wouldn't be worth the hassle. His driver was uncomfortable with taking the back roads back to the mansion, as that area of town could get dangerous, but if there was one thing Seto Kaiba could not stand, it was having his time wasted. Especially by something as drearily boring as sitting in a car waiting to move an inch at a time. And so, against his driver's wishes and despite the man's best intentions (though Kaiba suspected he was worried for his own safety as much as his employer's), Seto insisted on cutting the time in half. The back roads would be fine, thank you very much.

The sleek limo turned left into narrower streets, unilluminated by the lights of the main road. It cruised along smoothly, past houses that grew increasingly more destitute, until they finally came to a minimart from within some light was twinkling. It was so silent inside the car that from his seat in comfort, Kaiba could hear drunken laughter and the sound of bottles being smashed. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at whoever had offended his silence. Until he became very aware of a yelling that seemed to be coming from nowhere. Or maybe it was nowhere because… it was in his head. Now let's see… who's voice did he ever hear in his head other than his own? _Shit._ It seemed the disembodied voice agreed.

_Shit! There's too fuckin' many of em… oh god they got blades… I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die… SHIT I don't wanna fuckin' die!!! HELP!_

That was the last Kaiba heard before the voice dissolved into a helpless chaos inside his head. That was it. As much as he hated the mutt…well…_ I can't let him die._

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"You heard me. Stop the fucking car."

The bewildered driver brought the car to a stop, just as the back door slammed open and a gleaming white trench coat nearly flew out. The last thing he heard was footfalls slamming against the pavement before his employer was consumed by the darkness.

x-----------------------------------------x

Jounouchi lay crumpled in the alley. Some guy was kicking him in the ribs, but funny… he couldn't feel it anymore. _Guess that's…a good…thing…_

Through blurry vision he could make out dirty blood stains on his jacket, he could barely hear the curses of the guys who had jumped him. His senses were giving out to blissful oblivion.

pound. pound. pound.

That was a weird noise… what was it?

Pound. Pound. Pound.

It was getting louder.

POUND. POUND….CRACK.

He heard the splintering of bones before he saw what was going on. Well, that was great. What had they broken this time? Jou opened his eyes a sliver with much difficulty. But…the broken bone wasn't his.

His attacker was laying face down in the alley groaning, with some tall guy laying into him. _Wow… that guy can **fight**. Wonder who he is… aw well… guess it doesn't matter, s'long as he kicks da shit outta this asshole,_ he thought weakly. Jou slowly lifted his head to identify his savior, but the damn light behind the alley from the minimart was making a shadow that covered his face. Jou slumped back down, just relieved to still be breathing. Then the black fuzziness around his eyes started growing, until it got darker and darker, and he sank gratefully into nothingness.

When he came to, he was still laying cold on the dirty ground in the alley, being shaken rather violently by someone he couldn't see.

"Mutt? Mutt! Wake up, dammit! Wake the fuck up!" the voice was sharp, laced faintly with worry.

He tried to reassure the strange person that he was alive, but no words issued from his mouth, just a pained groan. The shaking stopped.

"So you _are_ alive! What kind of idiotic…just what were you trying to pull with that little stunt of yours? You waste my time, you miserable fleabag, and now you have nothing to say for yourself! I should have just left you to get the hell beat of you… which seems to happen to you quite often. Goddamn worthless stray… I should leave you here. Or maybe dump you off at the pound…" the voice trailed off.

Jou grimaced, as much from annoyance as pain. There was only one person who called him a miserable fleabag, and he had no idea why that person would be here. _It can't be Kaiba… cannit?_

"Of course it's me!" the voice sounded angry enough to explode, before deep breaths were taken and the voice's owner settled with a "Fuck you, Mutt!"

"Ugh… fuck you too, Kaib'."

"Wha- you pathetic ingrate!"

_Kaib'… can you stop talking so loud… I got nuff of a headache as it is. N' do you always get this mad when yer worried 'bout somebody?_

The voice bristled. "What gave you the idea that I would ever worry about the likes of _you_!"

_Well, you saved my ass for starters. _Jou smiled weakly at Kaiba, giving him as much thanks as his pride would allow.

Thump.

Seto Kaiba stared. _What was that?_ _Did he just… smile…at me?_

Thump-thump, thump.

_What the fuck is going on?_

_Hey, Kaib'… m'not gonna last much longer. Gonna… pass out 'gain…_

The taller boy reached out just in time to catch Jounouchi as he fell. The latter was cut and bruised badly. The CEO unconsciously traced some of the cuts with his fingers, glancing up to examine the unconscious thugs laying on the ground. Taking them out had been no problem. They could just go to hell.

Seto Kaiba gingerly lifted the mutt, jumping slightly as the other boy slumped against him. He was so cold…

Not that he cared or anything. Because he didn't.

He walked slowly to the limo, getting into the back with difficulty and holding the unconscious Jounouchi in his lap so he wouldn't freeze. The blonde hair tickled Seto's neck, and he froze, glancing down at the other. But no, he was still out cold. And a good thing, too. There would be hell to pay if anyone every found out about this.

_To Be Continued…_

x------------------------------------------------x

Hooray! I finally finished chapter 4!!! dances with glee

Please review! It makes me sooo happy to read them all!!!! .


	5. Manifest Destiny

Hello again! I feel so bad about updating so infrequently that I started this the day after I updated the last chappie… hoorah! Thanks to everybody who reviewed- i love reading them!

Also, my loyal readers XD, were very lucky I got this chapter out because I spent all last night in the ER getting tested for ovarian cancer and hooray! I don't have it! And so, having not slept last night and since im very jittery… im finishing this chappie! That I should have finished a long time ago!!! Im sorryyyYY! . 

Onward! Onward!!!!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

Warnings: same as always

x------------------------------------------------x

**Chapter 5: Manifest Destiny**

_The lights faded in and out, swirling into a dark chaos that left the boy in confusion. The occasional jolt of intense pain sent sparks of red and white swirling through the abyss that plagued his vision. Trapped between wakefulness and sleep, there was nothing for him to do but lay still, listening for occasional footfalls and mutterings, before all would become silent once again. Before he would be left alone again, just the silence, the darkness, and him._

Jounouchi Katsuya had been in critical condition for days. He couldn't stay awake, and yet his sleep was restless, and he often awoke in the night shaking uncontrollably. He didn't know where he was, just that the room was unfamiliar and the people who came and went on tiptoe were unknown to him.

Sometimes he thought he heard a familiar voice whispering soothingly to him, but the darkness consumed whoever it was that brought him the only shreds of comfort he ever received. That was always before he lost consciousness again.

He recalled, in the fleeting moments where his mind wasn't hazy, wishing fervently for this nightmare to end. For everything to return to normal. Time had improved his condition, but he was still unable to move, and so he couldn't discover just where he had been for the last few days.

Second by agonizing second, he forced himself to keep his eyes open, his heartbeat echoing through his head maddeningly as if he feared an unknown enemy. He supposed he did… Jou could vaguely remember the events of days before… the mugging and the strange person to saved him. He was indebted to whoever it was… maybe he was still around. Jou struggled, attempting to sit up, but the feat was beyond him and he hissed painfully as he eased himself back onto the bed. Best to just wait until someone came back.

He didn't have long to wait. Minutes later, he heard the slight creak of the door and those soft footfalls, that told him it wasn't the doctor. A coat of some kind rustled as the mystery visitor seated himself in the stiff chair that had been by Jou's bed since he'd arrived at… wherever he was. Jou blinked wearily and turned his head, hoping to get a glimpse of this person.

_Damn…s'too dark… I can't see 'im…figures that I wouldn't be able ta reach the lamp. C'mon, you, why doncha turn it on yerself? Who are you?_

He jumped as the voice, unaware he was awake, began to whisper something. Jou strained his ears to catch the words.

"… the doctor said you will make a full recovery. It's… hard to believe, judging by your current condition. I am glad I was there to help you…" the voice cut short, and Jou heard the swish of hair, like the man was shaking his head, before he continued, this time talking more to himself than to Jou, "I… I suppose I _am_ glad. Why am I… no, that's ridiculous. I don't give a damn about the mutt… I don't know what I was thinking," the voice muttered. Once again Jou heard the rustling, before the man left the room, closing the door with a _snap_ smartly behind him. Jounouchi stared at the silhouette of the door where the light shined through the cracks. That voice… sounded familiar. And he could have sworn the stranger had called him… mutt. He didn't know of anyone who called him that except…

"Kaiba."

The whispered word echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls before dying away. Jounouchi Katsuya's eyes remained fixed on the door, long after the sound had faded.

x--------------------------------------------------------x

His eyes fluttered open the following morning, captured by the light streaming in the window that had been closed before. Memories of the previous night slowly filtered through his memory, and his eyes widened slightly. He noted, for the first time, the expense that must have gone into this room alone. The bed he was laying in was mahogany, with four posts beautifully carved. There was a plush green carpet, and the walls were painted a similar color. A simple yet elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling. Jou managed to struggle into a sitting position, resting his head tiredly against the backboard. There was a knocking at the door before it opened slowly. Jou's heart leaped in his chest… what if it was…

A doctor? The portly, middle-aged man wearing a suit stepped into the room, dress heels sinking into the carpet. He smiled in a manner that annoyed Jou. But maybe it wasn't the doctor that annoyed him… maybe he was annoyed because the doctor wasn't somebody _else_. But no… that was stupid… why did he care if it was Kaiba or somebody else that had saved him? Didn't really matter… the guy really was an arrogant son-of-a-bitch.

A quiet cough returned his attention to the man standing before him. There was that smile again…

"Ah, Jounouchi-san. Glad to see you're feeling better," he said cheerfully, "you'll excuse me for a moment, won't you? I have strict orders from Kaiba-san to inform him of the moment you are awake, you see." The man turned away and produced a cell phone from his pocket, flipping it open and shuffling towards the other side of the room.

_Kaiba said… what? So…he did save me? But… how'd he know I was in trouble? And… even if he did…he doesn't strike me as the type of guy to do anything about it. What the fuck is goin' on!?_

"'Ey…" damn it was hard to talk…, "you. Doctor guy. What didja say 'bout Kaiba?"

The doctor turned back to him in surprise, snapping his phone shut as he finished his conversation. Well… maybe not a conversation. Whatever it is people do when they talk to Kaiba. "You are able to speak! That's wonderful… perhaps you will make a full recovery sooner than expected!"

Blah blah blah. "What 'bout Kaiba? What 'm I doing 'ere?" His accent was slurred now thanks to a hit he took to the jaw. Which made understanding him so much easier.

"Oh! Of course, how silly of me. You see, you took a bad beating days ago. It seems Kaiba-san brought you here to recuperate, seeing how hospitals tend to be overcrowded and the medical care… well, it can leave much to be desired. You know, I-"

He was interrupted when the door slammed open, and a tall brunet stepped inside. _Now that's Kaiba for ye… heh… no knocking or consideration at all…then again, I guess it is is house, so…_

He lifted his eyes to meet the CEO's, and was startled by what he saw there. Seto Kaiba was standing utterly still, staring at him in shock… and was that…relief? Yes… he thought it was. But it was gone before he could be sure, replaced by the cold indifference that was the epitome of Kaiba's personality.

"So."

"…so what, Kaib'?"

The blue eyes narrowed. "Well, if you can manage to be a smartass, you must be feeling much better than I thought." He turned as if to leave again.

"Wait a sec!"

The tall man standing in the door turned to watch him with mild interest. He cocked an eyebrow. "Yes? Was there something else?"

Jou shifted uncomfortably. "Um… no, I guess not."

Kaiba looked at him for a moment, before turning to the doctor. "We'll be needing a moment," he said coldly. It was not a request, and the doctor jumped nervously before stalking out of the room, like a reprimanded dog with it's tail between it's legs.

Kaiba strode to the chair by Jou's bed and sat, crossing his legs and leaning forward slightly. "You are wondering what you are doing here." Jou wondered how he did that… in everything he did, there was no doubt. He nodded.

"Don't read into it. I was driving by and saw you getting your ass kicked."

"So… why'd ya stop?"

"Because, mutt," he smirked, "_I_ am the only one allowed to kick your ass."

Jou felt his cheeks grow warm. _Why the fuck 'm I blushing? What the hell is going on…?_

"Fuck you, moneybags."

"Hn," and just like that, he'd been dismissed, "You know, I didn't take you in _entirely_ out of the goodness of my heart (he pointedly ignored Jou muttering "what heart" ) … I do stand to gain something out of this. You see, you, unlike myself, have a conscience. And consciences… can be exploited." Another smirk. "I decided that if I do you a favor, especially one of this magnitude, your sad little conscience will make you feel as if you owe me a debt." Kaiba leaned even closer, his gaze growing more intense, "And… I know exactly what I want."

Jounouchi could hear his heartbeat hammering in his ears. "What… whaddaya want?" _Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. He better not mean what it sounds like…_

"I want to know exactly what the runt's grandfather told you. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"Oh, s'that all?" Jou sighed, relieved. And to think that he'd thought…

"What do you mean, _is that all_? You were completely against telling me before."

"Yeah… I guess I was, huh?" _Wait… he wants to know what Gramps said? But I can't tell him that. He wouldn't believe me anyway…didn't last time at least. Last thing I need is Moneybags being his usual dense self 'n tryin' to make me feel stupid. _He unconsciously glared at the floor, before continuing feeling much more annoyed. "Tha's right. An' I still am!"

"I saved your life."

"Yeah, an' maybe by not tellin' you this, I'll save yours."

The two teens glared at each other, each too stubborn to give in. Finally, the brunet sighed and asked the question.

"What do you mean, you'll save my life? If this knowledge is a danger to my personal safety, I need to know about it, mutt. Right now."

Jounouchi closed his eyes and thought furiously. If he told Kaiba, something bad was sure to happen. But…he did owe him. And since when did he care if something bad happened to Kaiba? _That settles it… I'll tell 'im, and if he wants to go fuck himself over, eh… not my problem._

"Okay, Moneybags, if you really wanna know. An' not 'cause I take orders from ya. S'just 'cause I don't care what happens to you."

"I should think that was obvious."

_That arrogant little…okay, calm down. He's askin' for it. _"Yeah, I guess so. Here's how it goes. If you wanna be dense about it, you can pretend it's not magic. Act like it's all some super technical-thingy… but I need ya to believe me when I tell you what it does. Got it? Good. Gramps said our items are linked together, so they can each effect the other one in one way. I can use mine ta find you, and you can use yours to hear what I'm thinkin'. Yours can do something else, though," he felt unsure, guilty even for a moment, but it was too late to turn back, "you can use yours to possess people."

Seto Kaiba stared at him. Then, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he quickly covered his mouth with one hand, but not before a chuckle escaped from his lips. Jou was furious at not being taken seriously, but at the same time he was curious. He'd never heard Kaiba laugh before, and it was… nice? _No, it was not nice. Shut up, brain!_

And there it was… Kaiba was staring at him again. "What do you mean, it's nice when I laugh?"

_Oooh shit. Forgot about that little detail._

"I didn't say that. You must be outta yer mind. An' it's not funny. I was tellin' the truth. See, what happens is you 'inhabit somebody else's body,' and in the meantime, yer body won't have a soul. You'll still be movin' around an' stuff, but you won't have any personality. So I guess you won't be that much different than normal. But Gramps said that if anything happens to yer body when you're out of yer mind…" he laughed at his own joke before getting serious again, "yer mind won't have anywhere to go back to and you'll die."

Seto Kaiba had single-handedly advanced modern technology as the world knew it, and yet he had a hard time believing this. It seemed as though the mutt was telling the truth… but how was such a thing possible? And yet… if it was… the possibilities were endless. There was only one thing for it… he would have to test it out and see if the mutt was fucking with him. He gathered his thoughts and concentrated on one thing, and one thing only. Forcing the mutt's mind out of his body, and taking it over himself. He concentrated nearly harder than he ever had before, and soon felt a very strange sensation. It was indescribable, except that he felt sucked into some sort of warp, and when he came out the other end, he was…

Seto blinked, and looked around the room. Why was he laying down? He sat up fully to get a look around and assess the situation. And just as quickly lay back down as pain shot up his spine. _What the hell is going on?_ Kaiba looked up, and froze in shock. He seemed to be…looking at himself. But himself had a very vacant expression. Kaiba looked down at his hands. Why did they look smaller than usual? And darker, and the fingers were stubbier, and they had calluses… holy shit. He ran his fingers through his hair. Longer than it was. He examined his bangs… and they seemed to be blond.

_HOLY FUCKING SHIT._

The mutt had been right. But… how? How could anything like this be possible? Who could achieve such a thing? A million questions flew through his mind all at once. But he knew one thing for certain. He wanted to be himself again, and he wanted to be himself _now_. Just as quickly, the warp sensation appeared again, and he was slammed back to reality, back in his own body.

He looked up at Jounouchi laying on the bed, who was groaning and rubbing his head. Then he saw Kaiba.

"What the hell did you just do? Why was I floating? I saw me moving, but it sure as hell wasn't me, 'cause I was up there!" He pointed towards the ceiling.

"I…" for once, the CEO was at a complete loss for words. He shook his head and tried again. "I suppose… you were right," He finally managed.

"Damn right!" Jou agreed, "s'about time you believed me." Realization suddenly dawned on him. "Then… you bastard!... you possessed _me!_ It was you down there in my body!" He shuddered.

But Kaiba seemed less than concerned. His expression was growing brighter by the second, as doubt vanished and excitement took its place. "Mutt… you idiot, don't you realize what this means? Don't you realize what I could accomplish with this? This is incredible! It's unbelievable! It's…" he trailed off, unable to find words to express the remarkable object. Then… he did something equally unbelievable. Seto Kaiba smiled.

Jounouchi's heart stopped. His eyes met the other's and he watched in amazement the curve of the brunet's lips. It was… beautiful. He'd never seen anything like it. But still, as with Kaiba's few unexpected displays of emotion, it was over too soon.

Kaiba looked down at the floor. "I… thank you, Jounouchi," he said quietly, before standing and leaving the room.

_He just used my name… wow. That's different. An' why did I think he had a beautiful smile? Must be a crazy in-the-moment kinda thing. But never mind that… maybe I shouldn't 'a told him. What if he gets hurt? He did save me… an' I guess… I wouldn't want that to happen. I dunno why… but I will protect him if he needs me._

x-------------------------------------x

Across the city, Yug's grandfather suddenly looked up from his desk. "Oh yes," he muttered to himself, "that's what I forgot to tell Jonouchi! Kaiba can only hear his thoughts if he wants him to, or the thoughts that he feels the most strongly about. Hmm… I'm sure he'll discover that for himself in time."

x-------------------------------------x

In the Kaiba mansion, a very strange thought had just echoed through Seto Kaiba's head. One that made him feel very strange. Almost happy.

_I will protect him, it he needs me._

Why… did the mutt _care_?

**To Be Continued…**

I'm sorry it took so long to update! I'm sorry sorry sorry… things have been hectic lately. But please review! I read them all and they make me so happy! The most reviews a chappie in this series has gotten is 7, so if you all can beat that I'll work extra hard to get a new chappie out soon! cackles


	6. Secrets in Locked Closets

Greetings & salutations! I'm in a delightful mood… the bassist of my band wrote to Schoolyard Heroes (one of our fave fave bands) about them headlining a show for us, and they wrote back and said they might want to do it and asked us where we wanted to play! I can't believe it… we'd not only get to meet them but play a show with them! At the risk of sounding cliché…it's a dream come true! I can't frickin' believe it! AUHGKUFHG:DSLFJDL:FJLDF

Anyway, enough of that. I'm gonna start writing now XD

Thanks to everybody who reviewed! But… 4 reviews! You guys can do better than that! I'm gonna make this chappie extra super duper long in the hope that all you lovely readers will tell me what you think …im getting distracted again hehe…anyways!!!

Warnings: same as always

Disclaimer: no, I still haven't bought out Yugioh. But it's only a matter of time…mwehe…

**Chapter 6: Secrets in Locked Closets**

…_But why… did the mutt care?_

This was a question Seto Kaiba had been mulling over for the last two weeks, during which time Jou had been staying at the mansion recovering. But he wasn't any closer to having it answered than he had been weeks before. At first, he thought it was because the mutt felt like he owed him a debt for having saved him. But he'd more than paid it off just by explaining what the earring did. So… what was it? That strange want to protect him? Seto 'hmphed.' He didn't need anyone… least of all the mutt. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Seto started suddenly, realizing he'd gotten distracted again. Why did he keep thinking about that? He was up to his ears in work, and he still managed to get off task. Not that he couldn't keep up. He prided himself on always being ahead, in work and in life. Contented with this thought, Seto resumed clacking away at his laptop, eased by the familiar glow of the screen in the darkness, until he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter," he stated grandly, not bothering to glance up.

The door creaked slowly open, before shutting again softly. He thought he heard someone fidgeting on the other side of the door. Seto sighed. He should have known _he_ would be the one bothering him.

"Well, are you just going to stand outside and waste my time or are you going to come in, Mutt?" he said moodily, shooting one of his patent glares at the door just in time for the unfortunate Jonouchi to look up and see it.

"Ah, shaddup, Moneybags. I came t'see if you were gonna come downstairs fer dinner."

"I do not eat dinner. You should know that by now."

"Yeah, yeah, but I'm tellin' ya, it ain't healthy! Mokuba thinks so, too."

"My health is none of your concern."

"Well, my health's obviously of your concern," mimicked Jonouchi with a lofty voice, "or I wouldn't be here, now would I?" He grinned cheekily.

"You seem to be under the impression that I care what happens to you. I'm afraid you are mistaken. As much as I detest the media, their opinion does affect company sales, and it would be bad press coverage if I kicked you out and left you to die," Seto smirked widely, taking pleasure in the fact that Jou bristled at his words.

"Oh, fine, be like that y'asshole. An' here I came all th' way up 'ere jes' ta do ya a favor. Won't bother doin' _that_ again," he glared.

"See that you don't." Seto was once again typing away at the keyboard, Jonouchi dismissed.

Even after the door had slammed and the footsteps had retreated, he still hadn't so much as twitched from his position, save for the steady rhythm of his fingers. Although his thoughts had drifted again. Still-

"_MONEYBAGS, YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!"_

Seto jumped several feet out of his chair, feeling a terrible headache coming on. The thought had been so loud that it was still echoing in his head. That damned mutt… how dare he! The idiot obviously just wanted attention, and he wasn't going to give him any. Seto snorted, extremely annoyed. He would not think about that fool. That would be letting him win… although it sounded extremely childish when phrased that way.

"Whatever," Seto muttered distractedly to noone, resuming his work. And yet he found himself pausing once again, to think about something the Mutt had said. _Mokuba thinks so, too._ Strange… he hadn't seen very much of his brother since Jou had come to stay. Of course, the younger boy had been concerned about Jou, and obviously surprised that he was allowed to stay in the mansion, not to mention the fact that he had caught his older brother sitting with Jounouchi in the long hours before he had regained consciousness. Seto shuddered at the memory, which was all too eager to filter back into his mind and bring his work ethics crashing down about his ears.

There he had been, sitting in his office in the dark hours before twilight, with the whirring of his computer fan echoing through the otherwise silent house. It had been a night just like this one… one in which he could not tear his thoughts from the one called Jounouchi Katsuya.

_He had been bedridden for days, and had yet to regain consciousness, and although he refused to admit it, even and especially to himself, Seto found himself feeling almost… concerned… for the mutt's welfare. He sighed, rubbing his temples dejectedly with one hand, disgusted with himself. And yet… he felt the bitter pull of temptation override that disgust. It wasn't as if he really cared… he would just go and check up on the boy and return immediately. Nothing more. Seto placed both hands on his desk and pushed lightly backward, swiveling his chair to face the door and standing uncertainly. Every footfall, even on the plush carpet of his room, seemed to make all too much noise. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned, hissing at the slight creak which his imagination magnified to a roar. The brunet crept down the long hallway, wondering the whole way why he was doing this. It didn't feel right. _

_He continued until he reached yet another door, which he managed to open soundlessly onto a darkened room. The only furnishings inside were a bed and a single chair, which was empty, although the bed was not. The inhabitant quickly drew Seto's attention. He lay in mock peace across the stark white sheets, breathing slowly and raggedly, as if his condition pained him even in sleep. As the brunet entered the room soundlessly, the other stirred ever so slightly, eyebrows knitted together for a moment before his expression smoothed itself out into the blank serenity of oblivion. _

_Seto carefully crossed the room and lowered himself into the wooden carved chair, eyes not straying from the face framed with golden hair, illuminated by the moonlight dancing in through the slats in the blinds. He tentatively reached out a hand, knuckles gently grazing the side of that angelic face, before drawing it back in bitter disappointment. What was wrong with him? Hadn't he told himself he would only stay for a moment? It had been many more than one, and still here he sat long after he had confirmed the other's safety, as if rooted to the spot. He slid from the chair and kneeled in front of the short bed, taking the hand that had fallen over the side in his own, simply watching, but thankfully the other did not stir again. _

_That was when the picture had shattered. Seto heard a creaking from behind him and whirled around, just in time to see his younger brother staring at him, and then at Jounouchi's hand clasped in his own. Some might, but the tender expression gracing Kaiba's face had not escaped the smaller boy. _

"_Oh…" he said softly, before the raven hair disappeared from the doorframe, and the soft footfalls that had been missed the first time could be heard creeping back down the hall. Kaiba sighed, releasing the other's hand and returning to his own room, although he had gotten little sleep that night. Perhaps he had been avoiding Mokuba since then, not wanting to face the questions he would surely see in his brother's eyes…_

It wasn't until later that night, when he heard the knocking on the door once again, that Seto found himself distracted from the work at hand.

"What do you want," he snapped, annoyed at the interruption. It better not be the mutt again… _or else._

The door opened. But to his surprise, it was the doctor.

"Please excuse the interruption, sir, but I have just concluded a thorough examination of Jounouchi Katsuya, and found that his condition has improved so greatly that he will be able to return to his home in the morning," the doctor smiled kindly.

Seto's eyes snapped up from where they were fixed on the computer, muscles tensed, before he relaxed and allowed his gaze to wander. "I see."

"Yes. I informed him of his current condition, and advised him to start getting packed so he can be ready to leave first thing."

"I understand. You are dismissed."

The shorter man turned and left silently, shutting the door behind him. Kaiba watched his computer screen silently, but did not continue his typing as normal. He simply gazed at the hazy glow, not really seeing the words scrolled across it. So… Jounouchi would be leaving, would he? It wasn't as if it mattered to him what the mutt did. No… it was more than not caring… he would _prefer _if the mutt went somewhere else. _Just not in _my_ back yard._ With a slight "hmph," he began to work again, knowing that he was lying to himself but not understanding or wanting to understand why.

x--------------------------------------x

Morning came, as it always does, and found Jounouchi Katsuya hurriedly stuffing the few necessities the maids had kindly provided him with into a bag. _Damn… shoulda listened ta that doctor guy n' packed up last night. I bet Kaiba wants me outta here as fast as I can get. Where's my fuckin' toothbrush…? Oh yeah, the bathroom. _He crossed the room and flung the door open, running head-on into a flabbergasted CEO, who had been standing outside the door with one hand elegantly poised to knock, and effectively knocking the wind out of him.

Kaiba lay against the wall spluttering for a moment before he turned his glare up to Katsuya, having gotten too used to this behavior over the past couple weeks to reprimand him for it. He already knew it wouldn't do any good. "Damn it, Mutt! What have I said about… oh, never mind. I hear you will be leaving soon. Done terrorizing me and my household, are you?"

Katsuya grinned in the face of Kaiba's glare, less intimidated than he used to be. "Yeah, I guess so. Sorry 'bout that, Kaiba."

"No…_lasting_ harm done, I suppose," he picked himself up gracefully and brushed off his long black sleeves.

_As if there's any dirt on his floor_, Jounouchi thought with amusement. He turned and entered the room again, picking his bag up off the floor and glancing around to make sure he had forgotten nothing. Satisfied, Jou eased the bag onto his shoulder and headed towards the bathroom once more, casting a glance at the CEO as he walked by. Kaiba stared back indifferently, wondering what the other was thinking. _No matter… all too soon he will be gone and it won't matter._

Kaiba saw a light flick on at the end of the hall and heard Jounouchi rummaging around inside, before it went dark once more and the other reappeared. He noticed that Jounouchi seemed almost… uneasy as he crossed the hall to where Seto stood. The silence in the house was absolute, and so he decided to break it. He cleared his throat.

"Do you have all your things?"

"Yeah… I think so."

"Very well. I will inform the driver that you are ready to leave," Kaiba took his cell phone from his pocket and selected speed dial, turning slightly from Jounouchi and keeping the conversation as short as possible. "He will be leaving now. Please be waiting by the front gate. Yes." Kaiba snapped the device shut and slipped it into his pocket once again, beginning to feel uneasy himself at the silence pressing in on all sides. _Why won't the mutt just leave?_

"Well…um… thanks Kaiba, I guess, for savin' me an' lettin' me stay here…" The blond shuffled nervously from foot to foot before doing something very unlike him. Something that managed to startle even the cold hearted CEO and leave him feeling almost…shaken.

Jounouchi Katsuya chewed nervously on his bottom lip before slowly taking shaky steps forward. He reached up and carefully wrapped his arms around Seto Kaiba's neck and pulled him close, whispering a heartfelt 'thank you' in his ear, and unconsciously sliding a hand through the chestnut hair. Seto Kaiba's eyes widened and he froze, glancing down his nose at the blonde hair tickling his throat. He hesitantly wrapped his arms loosely around the other and allowed himself a small smile that was hidden from the other, before drawing back and watching the blond silently. "It was nothing," he said softly, staring at the floor to avoid meeting Katsuya's eyes.

"I guess… I'll be going now. See ya around, Kaiba."

The breeze as the blond walked by him caused the CEO's chocolate locks to sway slightly, although he himself did not stir as he watched the spot where the blond had disappeared, long after the revving of the engine had faded.

x--------------------------------x

Yay! Chappie 6 is finished! I'm sorry to the people who I told I was going to make this chappie extra long… I was planning on it, but I decided to split it into 2 chapters because I haven't updated in so long! **–bows furiously- **please forgive me! Please review, also! It makes me smile like this : XD!!!


	7. Dusty Skeletons

Oo It's you again! Come back to read another chappie, have you? How marvelous! Maybe you'll even… dare I say it…review? Review, review! Hooray!

Because! This fic has almost 2000 hits so far (go you guys! . ) but according to my calculations puts on reading glasses (...I don't have reading glasses...) that means only about every 40th person reviewed! You guys can do better than that! It only takes you a minute to clicky the review and say "hi" or whatever you want to say and it makes me happy as a clam! I don't like clams... well, I like the clams themselves but I think they taste bad, which is why I don't eat them... erm...yes...

Warnings: shonen-ai? This chapter? What? Maybe not… you'll have to find out, I suppose…

Disclaimer: NO!!!! Kaiba Corp. belongs to meee! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE IT, FOOL!!! Oh, that's right, it doesn't. It belongs to Kaiba. Who belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. My mistake… I wish Kaiba belonged to _me_…anyway… ficcy time!

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**Chapter 7: Dusty Skeletons**

"_I guess… I'll be going now. See ya around, Kaiba."_

_The breeze as the blond walked by him caused the CEO's chocolate locks to sway slightly, although he himself did not stir as he watched the spot where the blond had disappeared, long after the revving of the engine had faded._

It had been a week, and Jounouchi still couldn't get the moment off his mind. The moment he had left, and the look on Kaiba's face. What could he call it… confusion? Maybe even…sadness? But no, that was stupid. _A confused Kaiba's weird enough, without him havin' any actual emotions or anything…but I guess he _did_ save me, so he's gotta have a heart after all… it's just 10 sizes too small…_ he grinned at his reference, thinking how like the Grinch Kaiba really was. Just not green… and really huggable.

_Dammit… that's right. Why'd I _do_ that anyways? Musta been outta my fuckin' mind to hug Kaiba like that. Dunno what I was thinking, but it sure as hell won't happen again. It _can't_ happen again. An' why'd he hug me back? I mean, talk about out-of-character things to do... _

He stood and paced back and forth in his small room in the attic, finally stopping to lean heavily against the dusty window and stare out at the street. Two small girls with matching red scarves were drawing a hopscotch game on the cracked sidewalk with bright chalk, breath fogging slightly from the cold. Jounouchi watched them for a moment, before turning away and sighing. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Kaiba? Maybe it was that he felt he owed him something. He couldn't imagine why the cold man had done so much for him, but that didn't change the fact that he would be a lot worse off than he was if Kaiba hadn't come along when he did… and how much did that doctor cost anyway? _Probably a shitload… it was home care, after all… s'not like he can't afford it, but how pathetic am I? First I need 'im to save my ass, then he's gotta spend a whole buncha money on me, too? Nah… can't let 'im do that… I gotta find a way ta pay him back._

The answer was so obvious… he'd just have to get a job. Who knows how long it would take before he could get the doctor fees to Kaiba, but dammit, he would do it if it killed him… he'd do it if it took paying Kaiba in installments until he was 60. He didn't need this. He didn't need to owe Kaiba anything. So… where to get a job? It'd have to pay better than minimum wage, but what place like that would hire him? Jou jumped up and ran across the room to the door, throwing it wide open and scrambling across the hall and down the creaky stairs to the makeshift kitchen, where the daily newspaper was laying disheveled on the table. He picked it up and scanned it for available jobs.

"Lessee… fast food, no, minimum wage… more fast food… more fast food…well, shit, are there any other jobs available?... barista… bookstore… janitor. Janitor? Didn't that pay well? Or at least, better than the other jobs did. Jou wasn't sure he liked the idea of cleaning other people's shit up but it was a hell of a lot better than being stuck at some sweat shop owing Kaiba for the rest of his life. Okay, so what was the place that needed a Janitor? He scanned the advertisement, until he finally found his answer… and promptly dropped the newspaper back onto the table, sinking weakly into a folding chair next to it.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Why, of all places, does it have ta be _Kaiba Corp_?" But he found himself in too deep, as the saying goes. _Nothin' else for it, I guess I'll just have ta deal with Kaiba makin' all kinds of Rich Asshole jokes… talk about addin' fuel to his fire. The dog names are bad enough, but _this_! This is gonna be hell._

Katsuya sat listlessly at the dingy table, wrinkling the ad absentmindedly and thinking. When all of a sudden an idea hit him. It hit him so hard that he nearly jumped out of his chair. _That's _it_! What better way to pay Kaiba back than to save his life? A life for a life! 'Cause I just know he's gonna get himself into deep shit with this magic business…then again, if he catches me, I'm gonna have a lotta explainin' ta do…_

The blond almost laughed aloud. It was too perfect. Even after all his warnings of the danger and the risk, he knew Kaiba wouldn't listen. Since when had he put his personal health or safety before getting ahead in the business world? Just take the fact that he doesn't eat dinner because he's always working into consideration! _He doesn't care about himself any more than he cares about anybody else. _As Janitor, he would have access to Kaiba Corp… _all_ of Kaiba Corp… and that would include Seto's office, on the very top floor. It would be a simple matter to sneak in under the guise of cleaning, and snatch the earring as soon as Kaiba took it off and left the room… it's not like he would wear it _all_ the time, right? He could just slip it into his pocket, easy as pie, and be out of there. Of course, he could just do that right now using his anklet, but he wouldn't make any money that way… no, it would be better to take the job. He crossed the room to the phone, ready to schedule an interview.

x------------------------------------------x

Two days later, Jou found himself seated at a desk in Kaiba Corporation, across from a rather frumpy man wearing a business suit. The man's fingers were interlaced, and he was leaning forward across the desk in a manner that possibly was supposed to be intimidating. _This guy needs to chill out…maybe some sedatives would do da trick…_

"Excuse me, _sir_, but did you hear the question?" Jou was started out of his thoughts by the man's voice, which was currently directing annoyance and irritation his way.

"Sorry, I missed that last one… what didja say?" He grinned as the man bristled. Maybe not so good to make him mad when he wanted the guy to hire him, but it sure was funny.

"I _said_, what qualities do you believe you possess that would make you the best candidate for the job?"

"Well… I'll work really hard, 'cause I need the money to pay back a…friend… who helped me out, and I can work long hours on th' weekends."

The man sighed. This…boy… annoyed him, and yet he seemed at least sane, which was more than he could say of the others who had applied for the position. He shuddered as he remembered the man dressed as a Viking who had arrived carrying a rainbow striped umbrella even though it had not been raining. And that breath…well, he supposed that decided the matter.

"Very well, consider yourself hired. We will be sending you your work schedule by mail in the next day or so."

Jou grinned. "Thanks a lot." The man attempted to smile back, although it came out as rather a grimace. "Indeed," He returned, before making his exit and leaving Jounouchi to do the same at his leisure.

x--------------------------------------------------x

Days later, Jou stood in the basement of Kaiba Corp wearing pale blue overalls and a name tag that read "Hello. My name is Jounouchi Katsuya." Oh, the indignity of it all. But there was one part of his uniform that he liked very much, and that just happened to be the enormous keyring that hung from his uniform belt. He loved how they jingled, he loved that they were shiny… and he loved that they would get him into Kaiba's office when noone was looking. But first, to establish some basic trust, Jou decided to go about his job as normal for the first few days. Simply to squash suspicion. He doubted Kaiba could get himself into too much trouble in such a short span of time. Katsuya picked up his mop and surveyed the basement of Kaiba Corp in bewilderment. Everything was so dusty… _well, guess I better jus' pick a spot and get started._

Hours later, Jounouchi had decided that there was a _very good reason_ that being a Janitor paid better than other jobs. It seemed the dirt and dust had disappeared from the floor just to reappear all over _him_.

_Jeez… th' things I do for that asshole…_

He glanced at the clock, realizing that his shift was over. Jou made his way to the closet and put away his cleaning equipment before checking himself out. So far, so good. He hadn't been spotted by Kaiba. _But who knows how long I can keep that up…_

Fortunately for Katsuya, said CEO was at that very moment holed up in his office, yelling at his secretary through the intercom.

"_I most certainly did NOT order 50 pounds of Hershey's kisses in the company name!_ Send them back, dammit!" He paused, listening to his secretary, Miwa-san, try to explain the strange order. Why wouldn't the damn woman stop stuttering? Kaiba loved trying to intimidate people, but he hated it when they turned into blithering idiots. _Where the hell did that order come from? The only people who can order items under the company name without my authorization are myself, of course, and…_

"_MOKUBA_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

x-----------------------------------------------x

How many days had it been since he had started his job? Jounouchi Katsuya had once again donned the overalls, mop in hand. Unfortunately for him, his plan had proven much more difficult to execute than he originally thought. _Does that bastard _ever_ leave his office? At this rate I'm gonna have to start workin' grave shift just to catch him outta the office! _Nothing for it… he would have to have reinforcements. And when it came to Kaiba, reinforcements meant Mokuba. Kaiba fished around in his jeans, withdrawing a worn piece of paper with the Kaiba Mansion phone number scrawled across it in the raven-haired kid's messy handwriting. He had given it to Jou soon after he regained consciousness, just in case he ever needed anything. And he certainly needed help now.

He made his way stealthily over to the janitor's office, carefully picking the dirty black phone out of the cradle and holding it to his ear as he dialed.

_Ring…ring…ring…c'mon, Mokuba, pick up! …ring…_ "Hello?"

He sighed in relief. "Hey, kid, it's Jou."

"Jou!" the other said happily, "what's going on?"

"Well… I kinda need yer help…"

"Sure… what do you need?"

"D'you think you could get Kaiba outta the office for a little while?"

"Well, I guess so. Why do you need my big brother out of his office?"

"Ya wouldn't believe me if I toldja. Actually… you might, but never mind that. Can you just trust me on this one? It's for his own good…"

He could hear Mokuba shuffling around the mansion through the phone. He seemed to be thinking before he finally replied. "Okay, Jou, I trust you. I mean, you and niichan are friends now, right?"

Jou tried his very best not to laugh. Nii_chan? Friends? What gave him that idea? Oh, well…_ "Course we are, kid."

"Well, okay then. I'll call him right now."

"Thanks, Mokuba. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Jou. Bye!" the younger boy chirped, before the dial tone rang once again in Jounouchi's ear.

_Well, that went well, at least. Kaiba hasn't responded to any of my thoughts recently, so I bet he's not wearin' the earring right now. It would get tiring ta have ta hear someone's thoughts all th' time…the tricky part'll be findin' where he put it. I wonder how long it'll take for Mokuba ta get 'im outta there... better wait, just ta be sure. _

Jonouchi slowly made his way to the front of the building, mop in tow, and began inconspicuously cleaning the floors in a corner of the room. As soon as Kaiba made his exit... he'd move. Jou grinned to himself. This was beginning to sound like a cheesy detective movie. _Ah well... those'r always the best ones, anyhow. _That was when his phone rang again. Jou picked it up, hoping the secretary at the front desk wouldn't notice he was talking on the job.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Jou! It's Mokuba!"

"Mokuba...? How didja get my number?"

"Oh, that's nothing special. I traced your call from before."

"...Oh."

"Anyway... I can't get big brother to leave! He says he has a lot of work to do, and we can go have lunch another time!"

Jou sighed, massaging his temples to aleviate his irritation with the older Kaiba. "It's okay, Mokuba. Just keep tryin'... use any tactics necessary... I don't know... tell 'im the mansion's burning down or somethin'."

"I can't do _that_! He'd kill me when he got home!"

"Okay, well thinka somethin' different then. This is real important, Mokuba. Please, ya gotta help me out."

He heard the other sigh into the mouthpiece. "Well, allright, Jou, I'll do my best."

He smiled. "Thanks, kid."

And so Jou settled in once again to wait. He mopped slowly so he would have an excuse to stay in the lobby. As the time passed, out of sheer boredom Jou began to listen to people's footfalls. Some were timid as they walked up to the desk, as if they thought the secretary would bite there heads off. Some were fast, as if they were in a hurry.

"step...step...step"

"stepstepstepstepstep"

"step...step step step...step"

Jou sighed at how pathetic this was.

"Step. Step. Step. Step."

What was that? Those... self assured footsteps that sounded like their owner owned the place. And sure enough... their owner _did_ own the place. Jou looked up just in time to see Kaiba round the corner, looking thoroughly exasperated. His secretary looked up questioningly, but was silenced by a well-directed glare. His footsteps quickened as he crossed the lobby, trench coat billowing threateningly behind him, briefcase swinging by his side. Within moments, he was through the revolving doors and climbing gracefully into the limo awaiting him by the sidewalk just outside Kaiba Corp.

_Allright!_ Jou cheered silently, making his way past the front desk. He hurried along the corridor until he was sure he was out of sight, and then began his strange request.

_Take me ta Seto Kaiba's office in Kaiba Corp. The one in Domino. _he thought quickly, unsure if Kaiba was based in other countries as well. _Seto Kaiba's office in Domino. Seto Kaiba's office--_

"Oof!" Jou sat on the floor in a beautifully furnished room, rubbing his backside dejectedly. _Am I _ever_ gonna be able ta land right? Oh well, maybe someday. But..holy shit! Look at this room... it's just so...so.. Kaiba. _He stood slowly and turned in a full circle, taking in the splendor. It wasn't overly furnished, it was just... beautiful. Jou shook his head to clear those thoughts. Time to focus on the job at hand. He quickly spotted the desk in the back of the room. It was positioned just in front of a large window that looked out on the whole city. The view was incredible, and Jou watched the cars down below, and the black specks that were people bustling about. Was this what it was like to be Kaiba? So high above the rest of them, and yet completely alone. This building was all he had to show for it. No... he didn't think it was worth it at all. Turning his back on the window, Jou took in the sight of the desk. The computer was state-of-the-art, situated on the far left, and there were two piles of paper neatly stacked on the other side. He glanced through them. They seemed to be nothing more than stocks and business propositions. No sign of the earring... Jou glanced down again and noticed the drawers in the desk. He tugged on one handle, but it was locked tight. Jonouchi grinned wickedly at the keyring hanging at his side. He sat crosslegged on the ground and began trying keys, one after another, and yet, fifteen minutes later when he had run out of keys to try, the lock still remained unopened.

_Damn that richboy... what does he have in here? Well... I don' live in th' slums fer nothin'. _He grinned wickedly and produced a single hairpin, and set to work on the stubborn locks. Five minutes... ten minutes... eleven minutes... dammit...

Click.

Jou froze. _Was that what I think it was? _He reached out one hand and slid the drawer open noiselessly. _Jackpot! But...where's the earring? These're just more papers. Dammit, another dead end._ _But..then again... if Kaiba went through all the trouble of locking these up an' makin' sure noone would see em, there's gotta be some interestin' stuff in here..._

He reached into the drawer and picked up some of the papers. Underneath them was a single yellowing folder that looked quite old. Jou removed it from the drawer and put the papers back. _And what do we have here...?_ He opened it and glanced at the first page. But he did not glance away. Jou's eyes were rivetted to a single photo attached to a stack of papers with a simple paperclip. This was... _it can't be. Not Kaiba...he's..._

A sudden sound at the door made Jou's heart leap into his chest. Panicking, his brain wasn't working properly to find a solution, and he could only stare in horror as the door handle turned and Kaiba stepped into the room holding his cell phone.

"Yes, Mokuba, I left those stocks on my desk, and I need to look through them as soon as possible. Yes, we're still going to lunch. I will be bringing them with me. Okay." He snapped the phone shut and looked up, blue eyes meeting brown, both frozen in place, one in horror and one in rage.

Kaiba was the first to speak. "Mutt..." he said softly, voice quivering with fury, "what are you doing in my office?"

"I...I jus'... I didn't mean ta..."

That was when the CEO spotted the folder clenched tight in Jonouchi's hands. His eyes widened with unknown emotion. _He saw it. Jonouchi saw it all. DAMN HIM! What gave him the right to... Damn it! He saw it!"_

Jou stared once more at Kaiba, and his eyes wandered down to the picture in his hands. It was Kaiba... but a younger Kaiba. He was wearing nothing but sweatpants. Stripes of blood were slashed across his chest, scars woven across his body like spiderwebs. Those blue eyes stared at the camera lifelessly...they were so empty..._ as empty as they are now. _Jonouchi closed his eyes softly, filled with unexpected pain at the yellowing photograph. That was when Kaiba regained his voice once again.

"How...how dare you. How dare you come in here and go through my desk... look at my private documents. What gives you the right? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT, GODDAMN YOU!" He roared suddenly. Kaiba threw down his briefcase and flew across the room, elbow slamming into Jonouchi's stomach as he grabbed the folder and threw it away from them. He grabbed Jonouchi's shoulders and slammed him again and again into the floor. Katsuya lay limp, at a loss for words, head roaring dully with pain. And yet it didn't register. Those empty blue eyes were burned onto his vision... they were all that he could see. He faintly noticed Kaiba's voice getting more and more ragged, his assault becoming weaker. The hands that had once gripped him fiercely were shaking uncontrollably... and then Kaiba stopped his attack altogether.

Jou weakly pulled himself into a sitting position, watching the other warily. The brunet's eyes were squeezed shut and he was muttering incoherantly, holding his head in his hands and rocking back and forth, gasping for breath. He gave one final shudder, before his eyes rolled up and he collapsed against the blond, unconcious.

Katsuya hardly dared to move, hardly dared to look upon the body covering his own. He felt nothing but shame and pain coursing through his veins. He didn't deserve to look at this person. Still, he found his hands gently sliding up the other's arms. He wrapped his arms around the brunet softly, pulling him close and gently kissing the top of his head, feeling the soft hair brush against his cheek. Jou buried his face in the other's neck, lips brushing against skin as he whispered to the silent room the one thing he desperately wanted the unconcious boy to know.

"I'm sorry."

x--------------------------------x

Fini!!! The longest chappie yet by A THOUSAND WORDS! Yay!!! Don't you think I deserve a review for the long chappie?

I'm kind of like a dog that finally managed to do a trick and wants one of those doggie crackers shaped like bones. .

Jou: Hey wait a sec! I thought I was the dog!

Seto: Oh, so you finally realized that, did you?

Jou: Shaddup.

authoress: review!!!!!!!! XD


	8. Alleged Betrayal

Hi! It's me again, back after a month! I'm sorry for the slow update! But! The last chapter got 10 reviews, which is the most so far! Thank you all so much! I couldn't believe it xD

At the rate this is going, I don't know how long this story is going to be by the time it's done… there's so much more to write! My finals are finally over, so I should have more time to get new chappies out  huzzah! . 

And now…on to the fic! Onward, onward!

Warnings: the horror that is my mind. And other previous warnings.

Disclaimer: not mine. Not mine. Not. No. nope. Not at all. I no own. Me no owney. They all mean the same thing.

**Chapter 8: Alleged Betrayal**

_Katsuya hardly dared to move, hardly dared to look upon the body covering his own. He felt nothing but shame and pain coursing through his veins. He didn't deserve to look at this person. Still, he found his hands gently sliding up the other's arms. He wrapped his arms around the brunet softly, pulling him close and gently kissing the top of his head, feeling the soft hair brush against his cheek. Jou buried his face in the other's neck, lips brushing against skin as he whispered to the silent room the one thing he desperately wanted the unconscious boy to know._

_"I'm sorry."_

Smoky light streamed warmly in through the window of an office building, perched high above the city streets. The room lay in silence, timeless from the slothful winking of dust motes as they passed through the rays of brilliance. The computer setting on a sensible mahogany desk lay untouched, neglected by its owner, who at that moment was sleeping soundlessly on the couch across the room. The beeping of the pager was what finally roused him from his slumber. Blinking blearily, he raised an arm to block the sunlight out, squeezing his eyes shut and running the hand through his disheveled brown hair. He shut the pager off without looking at it, casting his eyes about the room for some indication of why he had been sleeping in his office. The sound of a blanket rustling caught his attention and he looked down, finally noticing the dusty old fleece blanket that had been carefully draped over him after he'd happen asleep. And then he spotted it. The reason.

It was lying innocently on the floor by his desk, shut. All the memories had been trapped inside until they were released. He remembered it all now. The man, hardly more than a boy at 17, pulled the blankets from himself and cast them aside, before crossing the room on shaky legs and stooping to retrieve the folder. He stayed that way, bent down with his fingers mere moments from the manila. But he couldn't bring himself to touch it. After some time, he couldn't support himself any longer and sank slowly to the floor, still staring at the enemy he found laying there next to him.

He was weak. All his life he had been taught in the cruelest of ways to never lose the upper hand in any situation. Never let anyone see the slightest bit of emotion. If they know what affects you, they can use it against you. And they will. How could he have given that…_dog_… so much power over him? How could he…?

The CEO winced at the memory. He had completely lost his mind. He had attacked the mutt like a savage. He had… the brunet shuddered with horror… he had… _cried_ in front of him. Huddled up on the floor like a child, with no control whatsoever. And then he had fallen weakly into his arms and gone unconscious. There was no way to atone for these mistakes… no way to right the wrong.

_You deserve to be punished._

He knew… he knew he deserved it.

_It serves you right, you know. You were never good enough._

Of course not… he couldn't even stop that man from taking over his mind when he was a child.

_Disgusting. And even now, you are much too weak to face the past._

"I'm not!" he whispered, eyes stuck to the folder. Something was burning… something was tearing him apart. "I'M NOT! I am a Kaiba, and I AM NOT WEAK!" the tortured roar echoed throughout the sunlit room, ricocheting off the walls fearfully. The hand, no longer shaking with fright but with premonition, descended and snatched up the yellowed cardboard triumphantly. Fingers pried it open with haste. Eyes cast downward, searching for a younger body that wore his face. A desecrated body, with soulless eyes and a pained grimace. He really hadn't changed at all since that day. The war had ended, but the battles continued to rage in his mind. And because of a certain boy, they would never end. A certain boy that had insisted on dredging it up. And now, he would have to face it. And he would face it alone, just as he always had.

The boy felt bile rise up in his throat, and unable to stop it, he welcomed the release with open arms and a hopeless soul.

x-------------------------------------------x

The blond sauntered down the sidewalk unobtrusively with the wind at his back, trying to find his way home and at the same time lost in thought. He couldn't get the image of the shaking CEO out of his mind. The cold, emotionless boy, huddled on the ground in fear. It frightened him. It frightened him seeing Kaiba like that. And it was all because of him… it was his fault. He turned sharply into the wind, gazing back at the building that was shrinking into the distance as he walked further and further away. But he couldn't bring his feet to start moving in the opposite direction. He couldn't go back and face the other boy.

"G'dammit!" he roared suddenly, surprised at the onslaught of frustration that hit him all at once, and blind to the pedestrians staring at him after his outburst.

No… he couldn't be that weak. He couldn't let himself be such a coward that he would leave the brunet like that after he had promised himself he would protect him. Jonouchi unconsciously rubbed the inside of his wrist, remembering the scars on the wrists of another in that horrible photograph. It _was_ his fault that Kaiba had gotten hurt. So it was up to him to fix it.

Turning to face the wind once more, but with an entirely different expression gracing his face, Jonouchi began to put one foot in front of the other with determination, heading the long way back to the tall building.

Within half an hour, he was walking through the elegant front doors and across the carpeted lobby, complete with large glass windows, armchairs, and the occasional potted plant. Ignoring the woman at the front desk entirely, he swiped his employee card at the laser scanner on the adjacent door and entered into the hallway beyond. There was a faint buzzing in his ears which could have been nothing more than nerves, which wasn't helped along by the echoing of his footfalls in the empty hall. It felt so isolated. The blond was relieved when he reached the elevators at last, pushing the up arrow and watching the doors slide open. He stepped inside and selected the top floor, stomach plummeting as the elevator began to move. But it wasn't from the sudden movement… it was the knowledge that he was in so deep. He couldn't turn back now…

With a faint ding, the elevator lurched gently to a stop and the doors slid open, inviting him to cross the short distance to the carved mahogany double doors, with a bronze plaque reading, "Kaiba, Seto. CEO." He was about to knock when he heard a stirring behind the doors. Pressing an ear to the wood, Jou winced as he heard the unmistakable sound of retching. There was some shuffling around, and then the sound of water running. Well… this was it. Jou knocked softly on the door, almost hoping the man inside wouldn't hear. He stood waiting for nearly a minute, before deciding to just enter. He turned the knob slowly, dreading the reaction of the person within. Without a sound, the door swung open, and there he was. There, leaning against the doorframe of the adjacent bathroom for support was Kaiba Seto. Jou nearly gasped out loud at how pale the other looked. Sensing the intrusion, icy blue eyes were lifted to meet his own, and an unmistakable growl came from the tall boy.

"_You._ What are you… doing here? Get…out," he breathed, wincing slightly.

"Kaiba…I…"

"I said _get out_!" As if realizing for the first time that he was using the wall for support, the CEO stood as if to prove he didn't need assistance from anyone or anything at all. But this, as it happened, turned out to be a mistake. He swayed unsteadily on the spot for a moment, before his knees gave out from underneath him. Jonouchi reached him right before he hit the ground.

Wrapping his arms around the taller boy, Katsuya heaved him upwards and half dragged him to the couch, where they sank wearily onto the soft cushions. Jonouchi froze as he felt Kaiba slump tiredly against him, dark hair sliding across his neck. He glanced down, surprised to see the eyes of the other were glazed over. He seemed to be whispering something. Jou leaned down to catch the words.

"…always been so…damn weak. Couldn't stop it… couldn't stop him… happened all over again… always there…"

"Kaiba…?" he whispered just as softly, unsure if the other even realized he was there. And that single whispered word broke the spell that seemed to be cast across the room. Clarity returned to the brunet's eyes and he started as he realized the position they were in. Hands reached out to roughly push the blond away, and he sank into the armrest of the couch with a sigh. Just as quickly, the anger returned to his eyes. "What do you want, mutt?"

"Whadda I want? Well… I guess I wanna explain. I jes was in here 'cause I wanted ta take the earring from ya. Maybe ya finally believe they work an' all, but I don't think ya understand how dangerous they are…"

"You underestimate me. I understand perfectly the danger."

"That's even worse! Ya know how bad you could get hurt an' you don't care about yerself any more th'n that!"

"Oh, and you do?"

"Well… yeah. Why else would I be 'ere?"

This revelation silenced the brunet completely. For the moment, at least. So, the mutt cared about him did he? _Bullshit. Nobody gives a damn about me. _I_ don't even give a damn about me. He simply invented it as an excuse in case he got caught. Well, it won't work. Poor, pathetic Seto Kaiba, with no friends in the world, who only wishes someone would care about him. So that's what he thinks of me, is it? I don't need him. I don't need anyone. Fuck them all… people need _me. _It is _not_ a two way street. _He would not be the one taken advantage of. Oh, no. It would be the opposite, in fact. The earring could be worn only by him, and the anklet only by Jonouchi, for reasons he couldn't fathom. But there was a way… a way he could gain the power of both without having to rely on Jonouchi's aid. The mutt would be rendered absolutely powerless… _not that he wasn't before…_Kaiba smirked.

"So…you care about me, do you?" he purred, smirk widening.

Jonouchi seemed to suddenly realize what he had said, and glared defiantly at the couch cushion, unable to meet Kaiba's gaze and realizing he was being mocked.

The other boy inched slowly across the couch towards him, eyes locked onto the blonde's own. Katsuya suddenly couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from him, and then Kaiba was seated beside the blond, leaning forward slightly. Jonouchi felt warm breath washing over his ear in waves and felt shivers running down his spine. _What…what's he doing? And more than that… what am _I_ doing? I should just-_

His thoughts were cut off as he felt a sharp tug on his chin as Kaiba turned his head to face him. His eyes locked onto the electric blue ones inches above, and he watched in fascination as those azure orbs slid shut, before a warm mouth crashed onto his own. Katsuya felt his control slipping away, shocked by the suddenness of what was happening. Unknowingly, his eyes shut and his mouth slid open, tasting the warm rush of air and moaning slightly. He couldn't pull away…

And then, once again, he felt a sharp tug, heard a whirring resounding from all around him. Blackness enveloped him, and just as suddenly he seemed to be floating above the room. Casting his eyes about in confusion, Katsuya finally focused on the smirking boy below him. It was… himself. There was a blond boy wearing his face, although the expression he wore had never belonged to Jonouchi. And seated next to him, so close, was a tall brunet with captivating blue eyes, that now… looked so empty. Even more so than they always had. And Katsuya understood.

"You." spat the imposter in his body, "I won't be fooled by your little act. No one gives a shit about me and I've never given them any reason to, so why should you? But you're a fool. Stupid, to think I would believe that. And now, using your body, I have control of both the earring _and_ the anklet." Chocolate eyes swept the ceiling, knowing their owner was watching but not knowing where. "Do you hear me, Jonouchi? I don't care about danger. I don't care what happens to me, and I certainly don't care what happens to you."

What was this feeling? Katsuya felt no anger, although he didn't understand why. He simply felt empty, as though something was eating him alive from the inside out. But he had no body in which to react. He merely watched himself down below in silence.

Then suddenly, the memory of warm lips against his own washed over him like a wave. Why had Kaiba… kissed… him? And… why was he doing this now? Why…

At that moment, Katsuya's body began to shake. Brown eyes widened slightly. _What is this? _Kaiba Seto thought to himself. _What's wrong with me? I can't stop shaking. Stop this immediately!_ He willed his new body, but it did no good. And then, for the first time since he could remember, the cold boy felt a hot tear slip down his cheek unbidden. Above him, the blond boy sobbed without tears to cry.

Seto used a stolen hand to swipe it angrily from his face. The tear slid down his hand, quivering on his fingertip as though it possessed a sorrow of its own before it fell, hitting the floor with hardly a sound.

"What… is this?"

x-----------------------------------x

Whew. Done. I should have been doing my homework, but I couldn't help it. I've been too lazy with this fic recently. I gave it my best effort to make their first kiss a good one, so I hope you all liked this chappie, even if it was angsty! Please please please review, because it would make me so happy, and because I'm sick and I wrote it anyway because I love you all so much! x

There's the review button… you can see it, can't you? I know you can! You can't fool me! Please? It takes hours to write a chappie, and just a minute to review it! I believe in you!

Ja ne!


	9. A Great Deal of Prank Pulling

* * *

Konichiwa! I'm back with a faster update than usual! Hooray! The last chappie was too angsty for my taste so this one doesn't advance the plot too much but it's not so heavy! And now, I won't bore you all droning on and on, so here you go! 

**Warnings:** same as always

**Disclaimer:** still don't own it. Really.

**Read, review, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Great Deal of Prank Pulling**

_Seto used a stolen hand to swipe it angrily from his face. The tear slid down his hand, quivering on his fingertip as though it possessed a sorrow of its own before it fell, hitting the floor with hardly a sound._

_"What… is this?"_

The boy standing in the office high above the city streets appeared to the naked eye to be alone, but he knew better than that. Still… wherever the real Jonouchi was, he couldn't see him. It hardly mattered, and aside from that…what was this…feeling? He ran a hand cautiously across his chest, where the pain was stemming from, but he couldn't find any injuries. Back and forth, until he pinpointed the spot. Right there… that was where it hurt. But… why? It wasn't a sharp pain, really. More like an ache. It was unfamiliar, and Seto Kaiba didn't like it. He had to know.

"Mutt! I know you're there somewhere…" he said, eyes sweeping the ceiling. He hoped security wasn't observing his office… the last thing he needed was a tape of himself acting insane snatched up by the media. "What's wrong with your body? Is this some side effect of the item, or do you always feel this? Answer me, dammit!"

Katsuya was slowly pulling himself together, the shock from everything that had happened starting to wear off. So he opened his mouth to speak. Who knows what he was going to say. Possibly something about what an asshole Kaiba was. But said teen didn't hear him, because no sound escaped his lips. Jou tried again, but it seemed he couldn't make any noise in the form he was in. _I wonder if I can touch stuff? Heh… while I'm like dis, why not figure out what I c'n do?_

He gingerly moved one arm, then the other, and slowly lowered himself to the ground. To his surprise, Jou didn't sink through the floor. _Well now…_ dis _is what I call int'restin'_. He snickered and reached out to poke himself…erm…Kaiba. But his hand passed right through his body, which was still scanning the ceiling irritably. _Now hold on a sec!_

Jou concentrated as hard as he could on giving just one hand solidity. After a minute, he decided to see if it had worked. He prodded Kaiba once more, and felt contact. The other jumped into the air with a short intake of breath. _Trust Kaiba ta not scream or nothing_.  
He smirked as the boy in his body turned on the spot, eyes searching everywhere and seeing nothing but air. "Mutt…" he growled. _Oh hell yeah, this'll be a shitload o' fun if there ever was any_… Jou suddenly had an idea and began laughing noiselessly. He glided over to Kaiba's soulless body still lying on the couch and picked him up from under the arms, lifting him into the air. At the sudden noise from the couch, the other spun around sharply, eyes widening as his body seemed to rise into thin air and then… it flew at him.

"FUCK!" he roared, instincts telling him to run.

….And that was how the great Seto Kaiba spent the better part of five minutes running in circles around the office to get away from his own body, suspended in midair and seeming like it was trying to decapitate him. By the time it finally slowed and slumped back onto the couch, he was running out of breath and not at all amused.

"It's you, isn't it you damn mongrel! Don't you dare touch my body!"

_Don't I dare touch your body?! You're fuckin' LIVIN' in mine!_

As much as he would like to go punch Kaiba in the jaw, he really didn't want to hurt himself. He wanted his body in living condition by the time Kaiba decided to give it back to him…_ th' bastard._

This thought made Jou feel moody again, and he slumped down onto the couch next to Kaiba's body angrily. What gave Kaiba the right to be such an asshole? Just because he'd snuck into his office, broken into his desk, and gone through his private things? He paused. _Jeez… that's definitely not helpin' the whole "I'm the victim" thing 'ere… still… takin' ova my body an' kissin' me just ta freak me out… seems a little steep. An' why did he do that, anyway? S'not like he hadda kiss me just ta get the spell ta work. He knows that. An' why'd I get so worked up ova it? Jeez… cryin' over a stupid kiss… especially a kiss from Kaiba… that makes it even stupider_… he glared at the wall. The other boy continued to glare at the ceiling. Jou had nowhere to go, and Kaiba couldn't just leave his body alone with that infernal spirit, so they stayed where they were for quite some time.

Hours… was it hours? It felt like years. He was tired of watching for any sign of the other boy. A sign other than his body hurling itself at his head, of course. There had been nothing since that incident. He supposed he had something like that coming to him… he had possessed the other boy, after all. But the silence left him nothing to do but mull over what had transpired, something he did not want to think about. Still… the little voice on his shoulder wasn't done bugging him yet.

You could have just possessed him, you know. You didn't have to kiss him.

_I… just wanted to mess with his mind._

Keep telling yourself that.

_Why the hell would I want to kiss that mongrel? I simply did it for the cause._

What cause is that?

_His insanity_. Seto Kaiba smirked.

Oh, that's a good one. Couldn't be possible that you just did it because you wanted to.

_We've already been over this._

Suit yourself. Keep mulling it over… it's time for me to blow this hot dog stand.

With a poof, the voice of reason disappeared. Kaiba stood still for another moment, mulling over his reason's last words. _**Hot dog stand**? Did that thing really come from my mind? Fucking hell._

He rubbed his temples wearily and went to sit down next to his body. Which felt really weird. But even more strange was the fact that when he went to sit down, he seemed to land on something invisible. _The hell…?_

X----------------------------------x

_Oh hell no, Kaiba. Back off. You ain't getting your ass anywhere near me._ At that moment, the CEO turned said ass and sat in Jou's lap, before turning and looking around himself in confusion. _Y'know, if you were in your own body I might not mind this so much, but it's pretty damn twisted ta be sexually assaulted by yourself_! Dammit, solidity was great but why couldn't Kaiba hear him? So much for being a spirit being fun.

Jou shoved himself off of his lap with a huff, watching his body sprawl across the floor. _Oops… I wonder how many hit points I got…? It's kinda weird to beating myself up…_

The body picked itself up off the ground. Seto was angry. Very angry indeed. He swung his arms about wildly, determined to find the damn spirit. Just then, his arm struck something solid. Something invisible. He smirked to himself. Jackpot.

Kaiba grabbed on to the transparent limb, which just so happened to be Katsuya's wrist, and heaved. The spirit found itself being tugged towards the enraged CEO, and it seemed frightening enough that he began pulling himself in the other direction. Just as Kaiba began to use all of his strength in the strange game of tug of war, Jonouchi had another devious idea, and moments later his body lost its solidity. It was at that exact moment that Kaiba gave his greatest heave on Jonouchi's wrist, which disappeared from between his fingers and he slipped, falling flat on his back on the ground. He blinked once, twice, three times. He breathed in and out, in and out. He stood slowly and gracefully, much more so than Jonouchi's body was accustomed to. And then he lost it.

"GOD DAMNED MUTT! WHERE ARE YOU? I know you're there! Come out and FIGHT like a man! Or are you too much of a DOG to fight?" Seto Kaiba breathed in and out, wiping the rage off his face so that he became the picture of nonchalance. In and out. In and out. Breathe. Then he got a sneaky gleam to his eye. It made Jou nervous.

"Or…" Kaiba smirked, with his greatest trademark smirk, "perhaps you are something of a masochist. Do you enjoy seeing your body injured, Katsuya? That's what gets you off, is it?"

_That… that… HOW DARE HE? Guy's a twisted freak! …wait… did he just call me Katsuya? Nah, must've imagined it. But I definitely didn't imagine th' masochist thing! Bastard. An' besides, how'm I s'posed ta fight him? Doesn't seem fair, with me bein' invisible an' all. Why're we fightin' in the first place? One second it's "oh I'm tired and sick, lookit me lookit me," and the next he pulls all this shit! Guy's just itchin' fer a fight. But I'm not gonna give it to him, not when th' odds are stacked up against him… then again, this could be m'only real chance to eva beat him… gah! What am I saying? Course I can beat him! Any day of the week. Yeah… you bet… so… right, then, guess I'll need a pencil an' some paper._

The spirit of the blond drifted across the room to Kaiba's desk, spotting the things he needed. He hastily solidified his hands and began writing a note to Kaiba.

_Moneybags-_

_I can't fight you if I'm indivisible. It wouldn't be fair, so give me my body back, you asshole! I never did shit to you!_

_-KJ_

The sound of the pencil scratching against the paper had drawn the CEO's attention and he crossed the room, scanning the paper quickly and tossing it aside.

"I think you mean "invisible," puppy." He smirked.

_Aw, shaddup. You know that's what I meant._

"And why should I give you your body back," he continued, not able to hear the other, "well… there's the obvious reasons of course. You probably have fleas. Aside from that little detail, however, I find this could be quite useful. Unfortunately, I did not take into account the fact that you can manipulate my real body, and I certainly am not going to allow you to be alone with it. For now, I suppose I can return your body to you, but I will require your complete and utter cooperation in the work I have ahead of me."

_An' how d'you plan--_

There it was again. The pitch black. The howling. And Jonouchi Katsuya was slammed back into his body with a force.

" 'Ey, I'm me again! Kaiba, you jerk! Well… I can kick yer ass later. What I wanna know is… how d'you plan to get my "complete and utter cooperation?" His mimicry was flawless.

"Why, in a most simple way of course."

"Which'd be…?"

"I'd kiss you again."

Jonouchi gulped.

"… And I'd take a picture of it."

The blond's eyes widened.

"And I would make many copies of that picture. And then, when I got to school the next day-"

"OKAY! Enough! I get it!" Jou stuttered, face turning bright red. Why'd he have to bring that up again? Well… there was nothing for it, if Kaiba was gonna play that dirty.

"Guess… I don't got much choice."

The brunet smirked. "Glad you see things my way."

* * *

Done! Hooray! Thanks for reading, please review, and all that lovely stuff!  
Bye now! 


	10. In Your Shoes

Konichiwa! I'm back after so many months! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! The story got to a standstill and I didn't know where I wanted to take it so I started putting it off :[ But not anymore! I'll do my best to get this story finished before school starts in a month Thank you all for not giving up on me! I continued to get reviews and messages even after I'd been away so long and they inspired me to get the story going again. Here you go!

Disclaimer: As hard as it is to believe, I _still_ haven't bought out Yugioh from Takahashi-sama.

Warnings: cute, cuddly boy love : awww, and some language and violence. All elements of a good story! xD

* * *

Chapter 10: In Your Shoes

"OKAY! Enough! I get it!" Jou stuttered, face turning bright red. Why'd he have to bring that up again? Well… there was nothing for it, if Kaiba was gonna play that dirty.

"Guess… I don't got much choice."

The brunet smirked. "Glad you see things my way."

Days later, the two were seated in the vast living room of the Kaiba mansion, Seto seated stiffly in a black leather armchair and Jonouchi sprawled across the entire couch, one arm thrown dramatically across his eyes. If he had to listen to Kaiba's "game plan" one more time, he was going to bust an artery. Kaiba had been all too prepared to drag Jou to the mansion kicking and screaming, but in the end reasoned that it would be simpler to have a pizza sent to the house. That would do the trick, he'd thought, and of course it had.

Seto straightened even further in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Mutt… are you listening to me?" he asked softly, danger ringing in every word.

Jou groaned. "Nah, I'm not! I was listenin' the first time, an'… an' the second time… an' I ain't listenin' any more!" he huffed, scooting up on the couch and crossing his arms grumpily.

"Well you had better be. You see, I find it necessary to repeat myself multiple times to stupid mutts such as yourself. Once is never enough with you people. I must simply drill it into your pathetic excuse for a brain until there is no way that even you can fuck it up." he smirked happily. Was he enjoying torturing the dog? Eh… maybe. He nearly choked suppressing an evil grin.

Jou flung himself off the couch with fists raised. He'd been itching for a fight ever since the first word had left Kaiba's mouth. "Cut it out with the dog bullshit, Kaiba! 'N case you forgot, you _need_ me!"

Kaiba's mouth thinned. "Let's make one thing very, very clear. I am a Kaiba. I do not need _anyone_, least of all a mangy mongrel like you. Do you understand me?"

"Oh well, in that case, I'm outta here. Get some other sucker ta do your dirty work."

There it was again. The smirk. "Not so fast. In case you've forgotten, you are under my control. I can easily inhabit your body and force you to do quite embarrassing things, you know. Things that everyone will remember once you get your body back."

Jonouchi growled and balled his fists once more. "God_damn_ you Kaiba! This is da _last_ thing I need right now! Why doncha go be an asshole somewhere else?" He finally sighed in defeat, out of breath, and flopped down on the couch once more in resignment.

"Good dog. Listen to your master. Now, I'm going to go over the plan once more, just to ensure there will be no little slipups."

"Oh… my… god. I don' wanna hear y'damn plan again," Jou muttered to himself, deciding to ignore the 'dog' dig.

"Thank you for your input, I'll be sure to give that a lot of consideration," Seto remarked sarcastically, before continuing what he was saying, "here is what we are going to do. With the new powers that I have obtained, it shouldn't be too difficult to execute takeovers of rival companies, one at a time. Kaiba Corp has always been on top," he stated proudly, "since I stole it from my father years ago. There are quite a few companies and businessmen who would like to see it fall, and to see their own company in its place. While I don't see any of these as a threat, if they are eliminated it will save me the trouble of squashing them, as well as drawing more business to Kaiba Corp, and making more money for me." He pointedly ignored Jou's snort at the mention of his having even more money.

"After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to plan a takeover of the Takeshi organization, who are one of Kaiba Corp's top rivals in the gaming industry. Instead of possessing Takeshi himself, I will be taking over the body of his Vice President, Take Watanabe. The point of this, Mutt, is to ensure that I have enough power in the company to influence how it is run, but at the same time I can find out what the President is plotting against my company. As Vice President I will be present at all important company meetings, as well as meetings with top executives of other companies that may be planning to take me down. That, of course, I can manage on my own. What I need from _you_, you may recall, is far more simple and extremely important." Seto paused there, wondering if he was crazy for trusting the mutt with something so… personal. It wasn't as if Mokuba could do it… it would be impossible to explain that to the boy, and frankly there was noone else he could trust with the job without stories of him being insane practically flying to the press. No… it had to be this way. "Mutt… I'm going to need you to take care of my body until I'm finished with the infiltration. I plan on completing the task tonight, but will give notice if the process requires an extension."

Jou paused in his position on the couch where he'd been happily scratching an itch, not listening, before…

"_WHAT?!" _he roared, flying off the couch and staring at Kaiba in horror.

Seto snorted. He knew the mutt hadn't been listening to him the first times he'd said it.

"I'm not happy about it either, but it's the only solution."

"Kaiba… ya must be crazy! I can't take care of yer body! I'd have to take it to m' house! Doncha think it'd be just a little bit hard to explain me stayin' at your house for the day... or a couple'a days?"

"This apartment of yours… it had better not be as filthy as you are. If I contract some strange kind of commoner's disease, it will be on your head."

"There. Is. No. Way!" Jou turned his back on Kaiba and began stalking back and forth like a caged lion, shaking his head occasionally and muttering to himself.

"Yes, frankly, there is. Stop being such a baby about it, it's only for a short time." Seto sighed and leaned forward, head in his hands. Oh, the frustrations of having to rely on that dumb pup to take care of him. Well… not relying. Better not to call it that. Not that he knew what else to damn well call it.

"An' how'm I gonna explain you being around for even a day?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. As I have already stated, I expect to be finished tonight. I will provide you with my cell phone number, and you are to get in contact with me no later than 8:00pm. Should you fail to do this, I will leave your mangled body hanging from the flagpole atop Kaiba Corp."

Jou bristled, and sighed loudly, pissed off but beginning to recognize defeat and trying desperately to think of another argument against it. He couldn't come up with any. There was nothing else for it… he was going to have to be babysitter to Seto Kaiba.

X-x-X-x

The following day, Seto and Jonouchi were standing outside the Takeshi building, Seto filling Jou in on the latest information about their scheme.

"Now, don't forget, I've told Mokuba I'm away on business. The only tricky part left is to get the VP alone. Although, considering who I am," he drew himself up importantly," it shouldn't be too difficult." He turned and strode off towards the company.

"Hey, Kaiba?" Jou said, jogging to catch up, "doncha think yer gonna need one of dem cards to get in?"

Seto glanced at him disdainfully. "You think _I_ need a card to get in _anywhere_?"

Jou looked away. "Oh… yeah, guess not."

Seto nodded curtly and entered the building, briefly informing the security guards that "he's with me," when they glared pointedly at Jou trailing behind him. Jou followed Seto's coattails across the lobby and to the shiny elevators surrounded by mahogany paneling. This building was fancy. Seto pushed the "up" button with one slim finger and the doors immediately slid smoothly open to admit them. They said nothing to each other on the long way up to the 38th floor. Kaiba stared straight ahead at the doors, while Jou occupied himself looking out the window and at the floor numbers which lit up as they climbed higher and higher. Finally, with a ding, the doors opened and Kaiba stepped out purposefully, the heels on his fancy black shoes clicking slightly against the tile as Jou hurried after him. He strode straight to the desk ahead of them, while the secretary, a middle age woman with frizzy bronze colored hair, looked up and nearly jumped out of her chair upon seeing who was standing in front of her.

"Oh… oh my, my, my, mister Kaiba, sir, what can I do for you today?" She tittered, running her fingers desperately through her hair. _As though that will help the frizz_, Seto thought to himself unkindly.

"You, my dear woman, cannot help me in the least. I am here to see Watanabe."

"Of… of course, sir. I'll tell him you're here, Mister Kaiba. Erm… right through those doors." She pointed shakily to their left towards a pair of double doors. Kaiba nodded curtly and strode off once again, leaving her quite shaken. Jou glanced at her and smiled apologetically, but she only seemed more frightened at that, and so he turned and began once more to follow the silent Seto.

He didn't bother to knock. People like Seto never have to bother with such trifles. Seto burst through the doors at such a speed that he did not have to slow his stride, and Jou suspected he liked causing a scene. He liked how all their eyes were naturally drawn to him. Watanabe was not alone, but rather had been deep in conversation with another man in a business suit, hunched over a small round table and making quick notes on documents spread across the table. They were not conversing anymore, however, and upon seeing Seto, the other man exchanged glances with Watanabe and stood, leaving the room and brushing past Jou on the way out.

"Seto Kaiba-sama," Watanabe said in an oily tone, "to what do I owe the honor?"

Jou appraised him, deciding at once that he didn't like the man. Everything about him was slick, from his hair to his suit to his shiny shoes and all the way to his fake, oily little voice. He was a classic Suit. Apparently, Seto felt the same.

"To something quite wonderful indeed, Watanabe-san, at least for me. You, on the other hand…" he smirked. That trademark smirk of his. And Jou at once was glad that Seto's gaze wasn't fixed on him wearing that expression. It was enough to give anyone the chills. Just before the other could respond, Seto looked at Jou and his smirk widened, and in an instant Seto's expression became slack and vacant, and the one that was smirking… was Watanabe. Jou stared, not having seen the action take place without having been a part of it before.

"All right, mutt, that's your cue. Get me the hell out of here without being too obvious about it." The voice oiled. It's owner cringed at the thought of sounding like that, but nothing could be done about such frivolities. Just then a beeping could be heard coming from Watanabe… or Seto's… pocket, and he retrieved it, glancing down and frowning.

"Mutt… it seems there is to be a company meeting within the hour. I'll need to review the issues that will be discussed before it begins, so get the hell out. And take good care of my body or it'll be the last thing you ever do." He turned from Jou and began perusing the documents still spread across the table.

Jou nodded towards Kaiba's back and turned to head out the door, catching the elbow of the soulless body and dragging it along with him. If Kaiba noticed the rough treatment, he gave no indication that he had.

As soon as they stepped through the double doors and heard them close, Jou realized that he was in for a lot more than he had bargained for. He had hardly turned for a second when Kaiba's body walked to a potted plant on a low table and began examining it, curiosity shining from his eyes, as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Come on, you," he muttered, grabbing its hand and pulling the body along. This was so wrong, him holding hands with Kaiba in public. Ah, well. Nothing could be done. He shook his hair, blond locks whipping around his face, before he headed back towards the elevator. And then… oh damn…

"Finished so soon, Mister Kaiba?" chirped the secretary. She looked up, stars shining in her eyes, before said eyes locked onto Seto's hand in Jonouchi's and widened noticeably. Jou could have kicked himself. How had he forgotten about her?

Suddenly, faster, than Jou could register, the body crossed the few steps to her desk and leaned over it, catching her hair in its hands and gazing it in wonder.

"Mister… why, Mister Kaiba, sir!" she spluttered, cheeks turning a splotchy, fire engine red. Jou's face twisted into a silent scream before he grabbed the body's arm and dragged it away from the secretary.

"He… he's not feeling well!" he spluttered, before practically running towards the elevators. Jou pushed the 'down' button multiple times, glancing nervously over his shoulder, before the doors finally opened and began to carry them toward the bottom floor.

X-x-X-x

They drew a certain amount of attention as they walked along, just like Jou had thought they would. People were surprised enough to see Seto Kaiba walking down the street like any other person, but stranger still was the gentle expression on his face, the curiosity at everything he saw. Everyone that knew anything about Seto Kaiba knew that his trademark expression was a glare. And who, they wondered, was the blonde boy who seemed to be guiding him?

This bothered Jou more than he'd thought it would. He had tried everything he could to avoid holding hands with Seto, and in the end had settled for a firm grip on his upper arm, pulling him along to avoid any detours the body might take to examine things along the way. As the sky darkened and they neared Jou's apartment, they passed by a rundown mini-mart with a neon sign flickering weakly in the window. Jou stopped, realizing he was out of food, and Seto's body nearly ran into him. The parking lot was empty as they crossed it, except for the occasional piece of trash flitting across it in the breeze. Jou stopped at the door, turning to the body. "Stay righ' here, ok? I gotta get us some food, but I'll be right back. Just don't go anywhere." He couldn't very well bring it into the store… it would probably knock everything off the shelves and he would be the one paying for it with money he didn't have. Jou watched the body for a moment more, making sure it wasn't going to wander off, before he nodded in satisfaction and pushed the door open, hearing a bell tinkle somewhere above him.

He grabbed a small red plastic basket and began to wander through the store, picking up random cheap food.

"Lessee… got the ramen, the macaroni, Coke… yep, that's about it!" he muttered to himself, glancing up at the windows and realizing it had gotten dark outside. Jou hurried to the register and bought the food, thanking the manager and walking quickly towards the door. He didn't want to leave Seto alone in the dark like that. Right when Jou reached the door, he heard voices outside and froze.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that, honey!" A man's voice. He laughed and soon it was followed by other laughter.

"Yeah… why aren't you sayin' nothing'? Think you're some kind 'a princess, huh?"

That was the last thing Jou heard before his blood boiling blocked out all other noises. He dropped his grocery bag without noticing and slammed the door open just in time to see three thugs surrounding _his_ Seto, whose back was to the brick wall. The guy in front had his hands all over him. Fuck them! What the hell were they doing? Jou exploded.

"Hey, assholes! Get the fuck away from him!" he yelled, charging the nearest one down and shouldering him square in the stomach, winding him. Jou's fists flew and the guy was down. After that, he wasn't so lucky. The remaining two had him surrounded. The guy behind him grabbed Jou under the arms and held him still, and he barely had time to think "oh shit" before the leader's fist was in his face. He heard a crack and tasted blood, opening his eyes and spitting it out. Jou leaned into the man holding him and lifted both legs, lashing out with his feet and hitting the other man right where it hurts, before he felt another blow to his head and turned to see the last man standing holding an empty beer bottle. The blow was dizzying, but the bottle wasn't broken and so it wasn't fatal.

The man was obviously drunk, and now that Jou was facing him, he easily avoided his swing and knocked him down. Jou got down on the ground beside him and laid into him until the man went unconscious. There, that took care of those guys. He stood up, brushing off his hands on his jeans, before he heard a short gasp coming from Seto, whose eyes were wide and focused on something behind him. Jou turned just in time to see the first man coming at him. _Damn asshole just won't give up._ Flashbacks of what they had been doing to Seto came back to him, and Jou was filled with fresh fury. He knocked the other flat in seconds and slammed his fist into the side of his face again and again, breaking his nose with a satisfying crunch.

When the pounding in his head began to lessen, Jou suddenly heard a whimper and turned to see Seto with a terrified look on his face. Jou stood and began walking towards him, when the other flinched away. Jonouchi was stricken.

"You… ya really think I'm gonna hurtcha? I wouldn't ever do that! Look, I won't hurt you, see?" he stopped walking, holding his hands out palm up, "I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry," Jou was speaking quieter now, his voice about to break as he began walking slowly toward Seto again. "God.. I'm so sorry. I won't ever leave you alone like that again. I'm not gonna let that happen ta you again. Sorry… I'm sorry." He finally reached the other boy, who gazed up at him as soullessly as could be before slowly taking one step closer and wrapping its arms around him softly.

Jou's eyes widened as Seto Kaiba held him and pressed his face to his chest. _It's not really him, it's not really him so it's okay, _he repeated firmly to himself. His arms seemed to be wrapping around the other of their own accord, but Jou forced himself not to think about it and simply stood holding Seto Kaiba under the streetlight, with the moths buzzing around over their heads.

X-x-X-x

By the time they got back to Jonouchi's apartment, it was late. Kaiba's earlier threat of hanging his body from the flagpole if he didn't call echoed in his ears, but he didn't have a phone at the house because his father hadn't paid the bill last month. _Dammit... if those assholes hadn't been fucking with him at the mini mart I might'a remembered to call. Fuck it if I'm walking all the way back. Kaiba can't be that mad about it... can he? Screw him, anyway. He'll live. _

They climbed the dingy staircase and Seto's body waited with him by the door while Jou fumbled around for the key. Finding it, he slid it into the lock and let them in, flipping on a light and wandering off towards the tiny laundry room.

"I'm gonna get you a blanket so ya can sleep on da couch, all right?" he called back down the hall. Jou opened a drawer in the laundry room and pulled out an old blanket and a pillow and stumbled back towards the living room, tripping over the end of the blanket just as he reached the end of the hall. Seto stood exactly where he had left him, head tilted to the side curiously as Jou tripped. Jou dumped the things on the couch.

"I'll get ya some pajamas. He wandered into the bedroom and came back out moments later holding a pair of blue pajama bottoms, which he tossed to the other boy. "There ya go… they might be a little short, but they'll work okay." The soulless boy stared at the pajama bottoms a minute before nodding and unfastening the tight leather pants he was wearing. Jou turned around in shock seconds after they hit the floor.

"Jeez! Can'tcha at least go in da bathroom or something'?" He was aware he was blushing but chose to ignore that little detail. When he turned around a minute later, Seto was standing before him wearing the pajamas that barely hit his ankles. Jou felt laughter bubbling up in his throat at the sight. It was kind of… cute. _It is **not** cute! Not cute at all!_ Damn it… why was he always thinking shit like that? It wasn't healthy.

"Well… there's yer blankets and stuff… g'night then." He turned around and walked into the small bedroom, pulling on his own pajamas and sliding under the sheets. Jou sighed in content, pulling the blankets higher and listening to the silence of the house. This felt nice after such a long day… yeah, nice, before… Plunk. He stiffened suddenly, feeling a weight beside him on the bed. What was that? Jonouchi turned over under the sheets, finding himself face to face with Seto Kaiba. The pseudo-Kaiba smiled at him climbed under the covers, snuggling into him happily and wrapping an arm around Jou's waist.

He felt the brown hair tickle his chest and looked down, smelling cinnamon. _Well… I guess he doesn't know any better… and this isn't so bad. It's kinda… nice. _Jou hesitantly lifted an arm and slid it around the other boy's shoulders, pulling him closer and closing his eyes. He breathed deeply and unconsciously slid his hand through the other's hair, one last thought coming to his mind before sleep claimed him.

No… this isn't bad at all.

* * *

Finished! I can't believe it! I just sat here and didn't stop until the chapter was done. I should do that more often. Anyway, please review if you liked it! It's nice to hear what you think Ja ne!


	11. Just, Seto

Hi! I haven't written this story in years! i came across it when I was randomly reading a hp fanfic on and decided to log in and see what was up with my old stories. I don't know if any of the people who were following this are even still on the site but I figured I'd write another chapter and see if anyone reviewed and wanted me to continue! So let me know! cookies and grumpy-looking seto plushies for all! *throws things*

Disclaimer: Didn't really happen, as far as I know. Seto and Jou are not mine, unfortunately, but if they were… *evil grin*

On to zee story, yes!

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Seto Kaiba, posing as the slimy Watanabe-san, found his place directly to the right of the President and CEO of the Takeshi Organization, Jiro Takeshi himself. He sat silently, drinking in board members' monologues and presentations; graphs of statistical data on how the company's production and shares measured up to other top companies in the gaming industry. Seto was pleased to note that the initial comparison was to that of Kaiba Corp, though it hardly surprised him.

Now that the initial infiltration phase of his plan had been completed, he was merely observing. He had done some prior investigation into the man whose body he currently inhabited before his little take-over, of course, but even Seto Kaiba was surprised to note how little attention anyone seemed to be paying him. Almost as if it was normal for the oily Vice President to be reserved during board meetings. _Hmm… I may have made a miscalculation regarding Watabane's… influence. He could indeed be nothing but a stuffed up bureaucrat, carrying out Takeshi's orders with no opinions of his own. _Kaiba listened, and thought. If Watanabe really was the empty suit he seemed to be, he would likely not have the influence to convince any of the board members to switch their support to Kaiba Corp. He would need to come up with another plan of action. _But what…_

Then it came to him. But it would require him to rely on the mutt more than he liked…

* * *

The following morning, Jonouchi Katsuya woke to the sound of the rain pattering against the roof and rolling through the gutters. Something was different than usual, but his sleep-altered brain couldn't place a finger on it. _I hope pop's not home…_

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking in the light, and looked down. Jonouchi yelped suddenly and jumped in surprise. There was someone there. Someone with a lanky torso and dark brown hair was flush against his chest, arm wrapped loosely against his middle. The motion caused the person to stir, raising his head slowly and regarding Jonouchi with child-like eyes. Then Seto Kaiba smiled.

"Kaib-?" he managed, wracking his brain for memories of the night before. Then it hit him. _That really happened? Shit, where's Kaiba? I gotta find him, he's gotta still be stuck in that… that… _Jou shuddered, remembering his brief encounter with the Vice President of the Takeshi Organization. He turned his attention back to the boy before him who was looking at him as though he could see nothing else.

"Morning, Kaiba." The other boy smiled again and wrapped his arms tighter around Jou.

Jonouchi was… confused. He couldn't say he'd exactly expected to find himself in this situation, and although his relationship with Seto Kaiba had most definitely changed in the last week, it hadn't prepared him for waking up with the other in his arms. _And lookin' at me like that… why's he lookin' at me like that? Well fuck it, he definitely ain't nothin' like the real Kaiba so I might as well take good care of him till Kaiba gets back. Sure as shit doesn't seem to be able to take care of himself. _

As the boy in his bed seemed reluctant to let go of him, Jou settled back down on the bed, and slowly, lacking his usual assurance, wrapped an arm loosely around Kaiba's shoulders.

"You're not really Kaiba, are ya?" He asked the blue-eyed boy. "Nah. You're like what he'd be if he was more of a Seto than a Kaiba." Jou smiled. "I'm gonna call ya Seto, kay? That way I can tell you apart." Seto's eyes widened at Jou and he nodded.

"Y'know, Seto? I think you got all the good genes that Kaiba missed out on." Jou grinned, running an arm down the other's back. Seto nearly purred. _He's kinda like a pet. Like a big, overgrown kitty cat. If Kaiba were more like him all the time I might think he was almost… cute. Wait, no, fuck. Kaiba's not cute, an' he's definitely nothin' like this guy._

Seto reached up and touched Jou's hair, looking at him curiously. _Hmm?_ _Oh, okay. I guess it's all right if you wanna do that… _Jou relaxed into Seto's hand and allowed his hair to be stroked as the other gazed at him. It was… comfortable. Suddenly, Seto raised an arm and slid himself up the bed until he was face to face with Jonouchi. Cocking his head slightly, he reached out and wrapped both arms around Jou's neck, pulling him in. Jou could feel warm breath against his ear and felt a shiver run through his body. _What the…_

Seto pulled back softly, nuzzling into Jonouchi, and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to his temple.

Heat flared through Jonouchi like wildfire. _What the hell? What was that? I better get outta this…. and what the fuck's up with Kaiba tryin' to kiss me all the time all'a sudden? I mean I know it's not Kaiba, but… it kinda is. And why did I… like it?_ He liked it. Fuck.

"Come on, you." Jou sat up in bed, dislodging the brunette, and looked down at him, confusion racing through him. Seto gave him a small, rather hurt look, and bit his lip, as though afraid he had done something wrong.

"Aw no, don't look at me like that." He reached out to Seto and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Look, it's okay, see? Come on, let's get you some breakfast." Seto looked down at their intertwined fingers and then down at the floor, as though still afraid he had made Jou angry. Jou sighed. Leaning in quickly, he pressed a kiss to Seto's cheek and then leaned back just as suddenly, cheeks burning. Seto giggled and smiled, looking up at Jou from under long lashes, and tightened his hand on Jou's.

"All….allright, up and at 'em, then." With no sign of Jou's father around, the two of them rose and set off to the kitchen, hand in hand.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was furious. He had been unable to contact Jonouchi all night since the Takeshi board meeting. He didn't know the whereabouts of his body, for christ's sake. Unable to go home to the Kaiba mansion, for the obvious reason of terrifying Mokuba and likely getting shot by his security staff, who would not be keen on Watanabe showing up late at night insisting he was Seto Kaiba, he had been forced to get himself a hotel room and track down the whereabouts of Jonouchi's…home… doing so entirely online to preserve his odd identity. He had sent a text message to his assistant, ordering the man to inform Mokuba that he had had to go away on business overnight and would be returning shortly.

When he found Jou, the blonde was a dead man.

* * *

The next morning, Seto Kaiba awoke and immediately called a taxi, barking the order to take him to Jonouchi's place of residency. The car pulled away from the curb, and Kaiba watched without interest as the scenery slid by, the buildings becoming smaller and the sidewalks gaining cracks and moss as the minutes passed. The driver finally pulled to a stop in front of a run-down looking house across from a little laundromat. Kaiba, still in the guise of Watanabe, paid the driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk, gazing around him distastefully. _So this is where the mutt lives… it's hardly surprising, given his inferior breeding. _He smirked to himself.

Kaiba's shoes clicked smartly against the concrete as he made his way up to the house. He fought momentarily with the rusted metal gate, but won in the end as he always did, and glanced at the driveway. It would seem Jonouchi's guardian was away. That being the case, he forewent knocking and barged right into the house, listening for sounds of life. Kaiba followed his nose into the kitchen, where he could hear a voice murmuring lowly, and as he approached the door the sight before him prevented him from doing anything but staring.

There was Jonouchi Katsuya, sitting next to….himself… who was gazing at him with rapt attention. _What the fuck? I'm quite certain I don't look at him like that. _They were… holding hands. With the other hand, Jonouchi seemed to be feeding him bites of cereal. He looked absolutely delighted. Absolutely…

"JONOUCHIIIIIIII!" Kaiba roared, stomping into the room. "Unhand me at once! You cretin… you dog… you mongrel! What in the _hell_ do you think you are doing!"

Jonouchi and Seto both jumped. Jou grabbed a frying pan off the counter and spun around with it raised high over his head.

"Who are you? Get out of my house right now, I'm warning you, I've got a gun-"

He suddenly realized who it was in the room, unaccustomed to strange business-men breaking and entering, and threatening him in his own kitchen.

"Get out of your house? What the hell do you think you are doing with me?" Kaiba's face paled. "And I spent the night here! Who knows what kind of foul tricks you pulled in my absence. I have half a mind to-"

"To what! Fuck you, Kaiba! I took the best fucking care of you of your life, so you can- Oh, shit look, you're scaring him. Look just calm the fuck down." Jou lowered the pan, glancing in concern at Seto next to him.

Kaiba inhaled deeply, held the breath in as though counting down from ten, and exhaled. "I don't fucking want to know. I just want my body back, thank you very much."

Jou looked sadly at Seto. "Well all right. Have at it, I guess."

Seto laughed humorlessly. "Are you insane? Take back my body right here? And what exactly did you plan to do with Watanabe's when it was dumped in your kitchen? Take advantage of it, too?"

"I didn't take advantage of you!" Jou roared. "You're the one that kissed- well. oh fuck you, Kaiba."

"We are going downtown immediately. We will perform the necessary switch outside of the Takeshi organization where, if our little experiment from earlier is correct, Watanabe's soul is still present. If all goes well he will be able to reclaim himself with no understanding of what it was he experienced, and no one to believe him.

"Okay," Jou sulked grumpily. He didn't particularly want to admit it, but he was loathe to let Kaiba reinhabit his Seto. _My…?_

Kaiba called another taxi and the three of them left the house and went to stand on the street corner. Kaiba scowled at Jonouchi holding what looked like _his_ hand, but as he seemed incapable of not running off he supposed it was necessary and tolerated it grudgingly.

They were dropped off, at Kaiba's instruction, outside the Takeshi building. Just as Kaiba was about to finally rid himself of Watanabe's infernal body, Jou stopped him.

"Wait jus' a second, Kaiba. I wanna say g'bye to him."

"What do you mean you want to say goodbye- he's _me,_ Jonouchi."

"No, he's not," the other boy said hotly, turning to Seto Kaiba's body.

"Well," Jou started, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm gonna miss ya."

Seto smiled at him, not comprehending. Jou reached out, carefully avoiding the real Kaiba's gaze, and pulled Seto into a hug. The other happily hugged him back, snuggling into Jou. "Bye, Seto. It's been good knowin' ya."

Kaiba froze. "What… did you call him?"

"Seto. He's Seto. He's like what you woulda been if you didn't have such a big stick up yer ass all the time." Kaiba bristled.

"I forbid you from calling me, or any body affiliated with me, by that name," he hissed.

"Allright, all right," Jou said. "Bye, then." He turned sharply away from Seto and stood facing the opposite street.

Kaiba needed no further cuing, and all too soon the familiar rushing surrounded him, as though he was being sucked through a portal, and he fell unceremoniously back into his body.

He glared at Jonouchi, who looked at him as though he was… hurt?

"What are you giving me that look for, Jonouchi?"

"_He_ never looked at me like that. You should've just stayed where you were and Seto could'a stayed with me."

The words stung, although Seto Kaiba could not fathom why.

"He is me, Jonouchi, you imbecile."

Jou shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking away from Kaiba, down the street.

"Well, mutt, the least I could do is give you a ride home, I suppose," Kaiba glanced at the real Watanabe, spirit yet to find its body, "before he regains consciousness and I am found at the scene."

"M'okay," Jou replied. "I'ma walk home, clear my head."

"As you like," Kaiba replied, and he called his driver.

* * *

Across town, hunched over atop the spindly stool in the back of the Kame Game Shop, Yugi's grandpa was poring over an old tome, finger following his progress in the book as he read. He stopped suddenly, and looked up. _Well, now, this certainly changes things. Even I had never… well. I had better tell Katsuya._

* * *

_Fin! woo! cookies and love for all! review if you want me to keep going_


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